Scientists are discovering increasingly more about kids who were exposed to opioids before birth. This study examined the latest discoveries to provide an updated understanding of what we know about this group.

Key Points

While occasionally still noteworthy in the National news, the Opioid Epidemic gets far less attention these days. Stories that do air center around overdose deaths. But what about the births? The births of babies exposed to opioids in their mother’s womb. They have a lifetime ahead of them, and due to traumatic injuries, it’s likely to be more challenging for the baby and their caregiver.

Much of the body runs on autopilot. Think about your heartbeat, digestive system or blood pressure, or even your fight-or-flight response when you're stressed or in danger. This pilot is called the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). One of the largest nerves contained in this system is the Vagus Nerve. It's responsible for making sure your body functions smoothly without you having to think about it.

Beginning at conception, a timeline of creation builds the ANS as well as the organs, muscles and other parts of the body it connects to. The authors of this study were able to determine what happens when opioids are introduced to this process.

Wouldn’t it be great if researchers collaborated with parents and caregivers just like you? The people who live with these resilient children day in and day out? That’s exactly what the authors of this study did. And by analyzing the data they collected, we can see trends in the developmental outcomes of opioid exposed children, who have transitioned from preschool to grade school and beyond.

What can be learned when 26 hospitals move from using the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring Tool, to assess the severity of neonatal opioid withdrawal, to a newer function-based approach — the Eat, Sleep, Console care approach?