Abstract:
This senior honors thesis explores the available research literature and guidelines
regarding Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). NAS is a collection of withdrawal symptoms
exhibited by newborns due to in utero exposure to maternal drug use. The focus of this literature
review is newborns with NAS due to prenatal exposure to opioids. For these newborns, Finnegan
scores are used to assess severity of symptoms and are often used to determine the type and
amount of non-pharmacological or pharmacological treatment. The ultimate aim of nonpharmacological
interventions for newborns with NAS is to prevent the need for
pharmacological treatment. Because there are minimal documented studies regarding outcomes
of non-pharmacological interventions using movement and music, further studies on this topic
are recommended. This literature review details manifestations of NAS in pre-term and full-term
infants, overviews non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions, and identifies gaps
in the literature.
