Limited Caregiver Movement Guidelines During COVID-19: Effects on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a multi-systemic disorder that results in symptoms of the CNS, GI system, and autonomic manifestations due to abrupt cessation of chronic in-utero exposure to substances at birth.

Best practice in the assessment and treatment of NAS includes the use of developmental care.

Developmental care interventions includes practices such as keeping the mother-infant dyad together, skin-to-skin contact, gentle vertical rocking and swaying, containment through being held and swaddled, and decreasing stimuli through room darkening and quieting the surroundings.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, policy change limited the ability for caregivers (parents) to leave the nursing unit, thus parental involvement in developmental care was more attainable.

Nursing staff identified this change in practice may have resulted in better neonatal outcomes; including decreased need for morphine treatment.