Rooming-in care for infants of opioid-dependent mothers Implementation and evaluation at a tertiary care hospital

Problem addressed Infants born to opioid-dependent women are admitted to intensive care units for management of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), serious morbidity, and prevention of mortality; however, the disadvantages of this approach include infants experiencing more severe NAS and exhibiting a greater need for pharmacotherapy owing to the interference with mother-infant bonding. Objective of program To implement a rooming-in program to support close uninterrupted contact between opioid-dependent women and their infants in order to decrease the severity of NAS scores, lessen the need for pharmacotherapy, and shorten hospital stays. Program description Opioid-dependent pregnant women were assessed antenatally by a multidisciplinary team and provided with education and support. Psychosocial issues were addressed in collaboration with a community program developed to support addicted mothers. The mother-infant dyad was admitted postpartum to a private room and attended by nurses trained in Finnegan scoring. Infants remained with their mothers unless persistently elevated scores made transfer to neonatal intensive care units necessary for initiation of pharmacotherapy. Conclusion With the rooming-in program, the proportion of infants requiring pharmacotherapy decreased from 83.3% to 14.3% (P <.001) and the average length of stay decreased from 25 days to 8 days (P <.001). The rooming-in experience was rated favourably by participating mothers.