Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
In Utero Drug Exposure
When a newborn is at known risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome, or when the baby's symptoms are suggestive of the diagnosis, a withdrawal scoring system is useful to objectively measure the infant's symptoms.
Because many issues occur in well infants or those who have a different underlying problem, the diagnosis is based on the overall constellation of symptoms and their persistence rather than on a single event or piece of information. Scores of 8 or greater for at least 2 consecutive intervals are concerning for withdrawal; treatment should be considered for those infants.