Skip to main content

Table 3 Neonatal characteristics by year of birth

From: Prenatal treatment for opioid dependency: observations from a large inner-city clinic

Characteristic

2006

(N = 33)

2007

(N = 53)

2008

(N = 69)

2009

(N = 84)

2010

(N = 93)

Prenatal opioid agonist therapy exposure

 Methadone

32 (97.0)

48 (90.6)

51 (79.3)

62 (73.8)

52 (55.9)

 Buprenorphine

1 (3.3)

5 (9.4)

16 (23.2)

22 (26.2)

38 (40.9)

 Methadone and buprenorphine

0 (0)

0 (0)

2 (2.9)

0 (0)

3 (3.2)

Length of hospitalization (days)

23.2 ± 10.3

24.2 ± 12.7

24.1 ± 12.9

21.9 ± 11.1

20.8 ± 10.9

Pharmacologically treated for NAS

25 (75.8)

43 (81.1)

62 (89.9)

72 (85.7)

80 (86.0)

Age at NAS treatment Initiation (days)

2.5 ± 2.1

2.4 ± 1.9

2.9 ± 3.1

2.0 ± 1.7

1.9 ± 1.4

First-line NAS treatment

 Morphine

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (1.6)

67 (93.1)

80 (100.0)

 DTO

25 (100)

43 (100)

61 (98.4)

5 (6.9)

0 (0)

Total morphine used to treat NAS, mg per kg birth weighta

6.0 ± 3.7

6.7 ± 6.2

3.6 ± 3.5

8.9 ± 8.4

6.4 ± 5.4

Additional NAS treatment with

  Phenobarbital

9 (36.0)

9 (20.9)

10 (16.1)

23 (31.9)

18 (22.5)

 Clonidine

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

2 (2.8)

8 (10.0)

Length of NAS treatment (days)

20.6 ± 9.6

20.6 ± 10.2

19.5 ± 10.1

19.2 ± 9.5

17.5 ± 7.8

Peak Finnegan score among neonates treated for NAS

13.9 ± 2.8

13.3 ± 3.5

11.9 ± 2.6

12.9 ± 3.0

11.9 ± 2.5

Gestational age at birth (weeks)

37.9 ± 1.8

38.7 ± 2.2

38.0 ± 2.5

38.2 ± 2.5

38.7 ± 2.3

Preterm birth (<37 weeks)

7 (21.2)

6 (11.3)

17 (24.6)

16 (19.1)

12 (12.9)

Birth weight (g)

2895.8 ± 373.1

2786.6 ± 728.0

2807.9 ± 599.6

2898.5 ± 652.3

2974.2 ± 580.2

  1. Missing data: Birth weight, one neonate; Length of stay, one neonate; Total mg of morphine per kg of birth weight: one neonate; Peak Finnegan Score, twelve neonates
  2. NAS neonatal abstinence syndrome, DTO diluted tincture of opium
  3. aMorphine dose equivalent determined for DTO treated neonates