By David Robinson
LITTLE ROCK — A groundbreaking nationwide clinical trial in which the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) played a key role has confirmed an effective way to wean newborns from opioid withdrawal symptoms that substantially reduces hospital stays and the traditional use of drug therapies.
Using an “Eat, Sleep, Console” (ESC) care approach resulted in infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) being medically ready for discharge in nearly half the time and less likely to receive drug therapy compared to those receiving more traditional care, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study. The ESC care approach focuses on supporting infants and caregivers in the essential functions of early infant life: eating, sleeping and consoling fussy infants.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was the first large-scale effort to compare the two approaches to opioid withdrawal used by hospital nurseries. Symptoms of withdrawal include tremors, excessive crying and irritability, and problems with sleeping and feeding. At least one newborn in the United States is diagnosed every 18 minutes with NOWS.
