Aim: To evaluate the characteristics of newborns diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and the characteristics of their mothers in Vojvodina from 2012 to 2016., as well as the interrelationship of certain features.
Introduction: NAS is a collection of symptoms and signs that occur as a result of the sudden interruption of fetal exposure to certain substances (methadone, heroin, buprenorphine, etc.) that were used or abused by the mother during pregnancy.1,2 It is manifested in a multitude of symptoms including central nervous system irritability, over-activity of the vegetative nervous system and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.3,4 The occurrence of NAS is closely related to the maintenance therapy of pregnant opioid addicts.1
Methods: This study analyzed medical records of women who gave birth at the Clinic of Ginaecology and Obstetrics in Novi Sad, whose children were diagnosed with NAS after birth, as well as the medical records of newborns treated at the Neonatology Department of the Institute for Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina diagnosed with NAS. Medical records included data from the medical history of the newborn and personal and gynaecological medical history of their mothers.
Results: A total of 41 cases of NAS were registered. An increase in incidence was noticed during the five-year period of about 15%. Mothers were mostly unemployed (80.49%). Slightly more than half of respondents (57.5%) during pregnancy were on one of substitution treatment modalities. The majority of newborns with NAS (75.61%) were male. The clinical picture was significantly more expressed in children whose mothers consumed methadone, compared to mothers who consumed heroin during pregnancy (p=0.0002).
Conclusion: The incidence of diagnosed NAS cases is growing. Representation of male newborns with NAS is three times higher than female newborns. Methadone cause more NAS symptoms than heroin.
Acknowledgements: The Ministry of Education and Science of Republic Serbia (grant number 41012) supported this research work.