As the opioid crisis continues, the number of babies born with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS)—a condition that affects infants whose mothers used opioids during pregnancy—has risen 5-fold over the past 20 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are 20,000 infants a year in the United States born with signs of NOWS. These infants often require extended hospital stays and, in some cases, treatment with medications like morphine to relieve withdrawal symptoms.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com
