Pregnancy and Newborns with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

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As part of its commitment to care for patients with substance use disorder where they seek medical care, Boston Medical Center has developed several programs to help pregnant women and newborn babies with addiction. Pregnant women with substance use disorders need care for both their pregnancy and addiction. Their babies are often born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, which also requires medical attention. Further, BMC is committed to supporting mothers and babies after delivery and into the first years of life.

Keeping Pregnant Women with Addiction Healthy Before, During, and After Delivery

Project Respect

Massachusetts is one of the top states for access to treatment for substance use disorders, especially for pregnant women. Still, only 66 percent of pregnant women with substance use disorders in Massachusetts receive treatment before giving birth. Project RESPECT, a Boston Medical Center program that engages pregnant women in recovery, is working to change that statistic.

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Special Programs Supports New Moms And Babies Struggling With Substance Use

Special Programs Supports New Moms And Babies Struggling With Substance Use

Pediatrician Eileen Costello and mom Ashlee Ryan, who is in recovery from substance use, have a common bond: they are both working hard to give 8 month-old Leila a fighting chance at a healthy life.

Through SOFAR (Supporting Our Families through Addiction and Recovery) mothers in recovery and their children have a medical home in Boston Medical Center's pediatric primary care clinic. SOFAR is staffed with physicians, social workers, patient navigators, and coordinators who provide medical and psychosocial care for families, helping mothers with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) navigate and succeed through the early stages of parenthood.

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Symptom-Triggered Treatment for Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome Benefits Babies

Symptom-Triggered Treatment for Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome Benefits Babies

Study comparing two models of care for neonatal abstinence syndrome shows benefits of treating symptoms versus a fixed medication schedule

A program developed and studied at Boston Medical Center (BMC) found that symptom-triggered medication dosing for neonatal withdrawal syndrome, instead of infants receiving a fixed schedule of medication, could be a more effective intervention for these infants and could help reduce unnecessary medication exposure.

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Pregnant Women Treated for Opioid Use Disorder Deliver Babies without Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome

Pregnant Women Treated for Opioid Use Disorder Deliver Babies without Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome

Infants born to mothers taking naltrexone to treat opioid use disorder during pregnancy developed no signs of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) during their hospitalization, a new study shows. In comparison to infants of mothers taking buprenorphine during pregnancy, infants exposed to naltrexone had shorter hospital stays, and mothers reported no use of other opioids during their pregnancy. Led by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC), the findings provide important preliminary data on the outcomes for both mother and baby when naltrexone is used to treat opioid use disorder during pregnancy.

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