“Male infants are more likely at birth than their female counterparts to be diagnosed with drug withdrawal symptoms, also known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and to require treatment, according to a new Vanderbilt study published in Hospital Pediatrics.
The retrospective cohort study used vital statistics and prescription, outpatient and inpatient data for mothers and infants enrolled in the Tennessee Medicaid program between 2009 and 2011. Of the 102,695 mother-infant pairs enrolled, 484 male subjects and 443 female infants were diagnosed with NAS.
The Vanderbilt researchers’ findings revealed that male infants were 18 percent more likely than female infants to be diagnosed with NAS and 24 percent more likely to require pharmacologic treatment for the syndrome. The study represents the largest reported cohort to date investigating sex-related differences in incidence and severity of NAS.”
Read more at: http://www.heraldchronicle.com/vanderbilt-study-finds-male-infants-at-increased-risk-of-neonatal-abstinence-syndrome/
Source: HeraldChronicle.com – May 2, 2017
See related article: Jefferson study finds more effective drug (buprenorphine) shortens therapy for addicted newborns available at: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/kids-families/Jefferson-study-shortens-treatment-for-addicted-newborns-with-more-effective-therapy.html
See related article: Alternative treatment approach for neonatal abstinence syndrome may shorten hospital stay available at: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/aaop-ata042617.php
