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Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) often presents in the first 72 hours of life. Observation of at-risk infants is important to ensure prompt treatment if necessary. In 1998 at this hospital, 90% of infants requiring treatment for NAS commenced in the first week after birth. We aimed to describe the commencement of treatment for infants with NAS in the last decade.

We undertook a retrospective review of babies treated pharmacologically for NAS during 2001–2010 at The Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. Our guidelines recommend 7 days postnatal observation for infants at risk of NAS. Infants were admitted to the neonatal unit if they were felt to require treatment or had other neonatal complications.

163 infants were treated for NAS; 85% and 8% of the mothers were hepatitis C and B positive respectively. In-utero substance exposure included opioids (97%), cannabis (29 …