What is the withdrawal syndrome in newborns exposed to addictive substances during pregnancy called?

• A. Neonatal abstinence syndrome
• B. Maintenance dose
• C. Mutual help organizations
• D. Natural recovery

Answer: (A)

Withdrawal in newborns after exposure to addictive substances during pregnancy is called neonatal abstinence syndrome. The name reflects that the infant is undergoing withdrawal symptoms after birth because substances used during pregnancy affected the developing nervous system. The most common cause is opioid exposure (such as heroin or methadone), but other drugs like nicotine, benzodiazepines, or alcohol can contribute to the syndrome. Newborns with NAS may show irritability, high-pitched crying, tremors, poor feeding, vomiting or diarrhea, sweating, fever, yawning, sneezing, and sleep disturbances. Symptoms typically appear within 24 to 72 hours for short-acting opioids and can take longer with longer-acting opioids. Diagnosis often uses a scoring tool to gauge severity and determine treatment, which can range from supportive care and monitoring to medication (like morphine or methadone) to control withdrawal while the baby stabilizes. The term neonatal abstinence syndrome is the best fit because it specifically identifies withdrawal occurring in a newborn due to prenatal exposure to addictive substances. Other options don’t describe this condition: a maintenance dose refers to ongoing treatment dosing; mutual help organizations are support groups; natural recovery is a general term for recovery and not this specific newborn withdrawal syndrome.