Neonatal abstinence syndrome: window to the latest treatment practice out of The Czech Republic

Abstract

Introduction : The article summarizes the latest findings in the pharmacological treatment and non-pharmacological care of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), diagnosis P96.1. Methods: This article reviews randomized clinical trials on the therapeutic treatment of NAS with the active substances morphine, methadone, buprenorphine, phenobarbital and clonidine with parameters of treatment duration and length of hospital stay. The source for this article is freely accessible publications searchable in the medical bibliographic database PubMed. Results: The progressive increase in scientific works in the field of treatment optimization about the median length of hospitalization and length of treatment is reflected in practice by the creation of a whole series of treatment protocols. For both measured parameters, median hospitalization and treatment duration, the buprenorphine molecule achieves better results compared to methadone and morphine. Phenobarbital was a significantly better adjunctive therapy than clonidine in methadone treatment also in both measured parameters. Conclusion: Aspects such as the choice of a suitable preparation, its pharmaceutical form and a standardized globally recognized treatment protocol remain a still controversial topic and the point of interest for further research.