Breastfeeding and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
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Authors
Lovingood, Julia
Date of Issue
2023-04-28
Type
Presentation
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Abstract
An estimated three million people in the US are currently or have previously suffered from opioid use disorder (Azadfard et al., 2022), and pregnant women are not immune to this misuse problem. Nearly 7% of women in 2019 self-reported using prescription opioids during pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). This has led to an uptick in the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which results following the cessation of exposure to substance(s) to which the fetus was exposed in-utero (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005). In 2018, approximately seven newborns were diagnosed with NAS for every 1,000 hospital births (Hirai et al., 2021). Neonates with NAS showed an increased length of hospitalization, which is associated with increased healthcare costs and poor bonding between the mother and neonate (Lean et al., 2018). Breastfeeding has the ability to strengthen bonding, and oxytocin released during lactation helps stimulate emotional connection between the mother and child (World Health Organization, 2009). The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine have developed breastfeeding recommendations in the NAS population. Despite these recommendations, successful breastfeeding in the NAS population is still quite low. The purpose of this Evidence-Based Practice brief is to review literature to determine if breastfeeding has an effect on length of hospital stay in neonates with NAS. Ultimately, the aim of this brief is to elucidate findings on this matter and help generate recommendations for best practice for nurses caring for newborns with NAS.