In the final episode of our four-part series “Hot Topics in Neonatology” we explore neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a byproduct of prenatal drug exposure — one of the fastest growing public health problems in the world.

In the U.S., the most recent data from the CDC indicate that the number of pregnant people with opioid-related diagnoses documented at delivery increased by 131% from 2010 to 2017. The implications for their babies include preterm birth, still birth, birth defects and neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS.

SEGMENT 1: We talk with Dr. Ju-Lee Oei from the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, Australia, who provides an overview NAS — what it is, how it's diagnosed and how it's treated.

SEGMENT 2: Andre Sukta, a research and development projects manager at the United States Drug Testing Laboratories in Chicago, joins us to talk about the recent history of newborn toxicology screening.

Carol Vassar, producer/host

Explore the Full Series:
Part 1, Episode 50
The NICU View: Mom & Baby

Part 2, Episode 51
 Fluid Dynamics: What's New in Treating EPRA

Part 3, Episode 52
Fragile Beginnings: Exploring NEC in Newborns 

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