A Review on Acupuncture as a Non-Pharmacological Treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)

Abstract

Background: The incidence of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) has been on the rise over the past decade. There are many factors that have possibly contributed to this increase such as more mothers using illicit drugs and the overuse of opioid medication. This results in an increase in costs and resources for the healthcare system. Newborns with NAS might experience withdrawal symptoms that can cause pain, distress, and may potentially increase the risk of future health complications. It is therefore important to find effective treatments that can alleviate NAS. Various non-pharmacological treatments are used in conjunction with pharmacological treatments to reduce the length of hospital stay and duration of drug treatment. The objective of our review is to assess the safety and efficacy of acupuncture.

Considerations and Determinants of Discharge Decisions among Prenatal Substance Exposed Infants

“…This is contrasted with the HWR class, in which 53.36% received both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic intervention and 46.64% received a non-pharmacologic intervention alone. Class characteristics on intervention type are consistent with previous research suggesting that pharmacologic interventions (typically opioids) are used in more severe withdrawal cases involving higher symptom counts (Mangat et al, 2019). In the case of less severe or absent withdrawal symptoms, which may be more common in the LWR class, it is likely that non-pharmacologic interventions are used over pharmacologic interventions.…”

“…Typically, treatment of NAS begins with non-pharmacologic interventions such as breastfeeding (Welle-Strand et al, 2013), swaddling (Mangat et al, 2019), parent-infant rooming-in (Holmes et al, 2016), and low stimulation environments (i.e., dark, quiet rooms), which yield beneficial outcomes. While these interventions may be common among newborns (e.g., around 80% of newborns are breastfed at some point; CDC, 2022), they are particularly helpful in cases of NAS.…”

“…Between 50%–80% of NAS cases are treated with medications, frequently with opioid agonists like morphine, methadone, and buprenorphine (Wachman & Werler, 2019; Young et al, 2021). Although in utero opioid exposure is highly linked to NAS (Siu & Robinson, 2014), the decision to administer medications depends on the severity of symptomology, rather than exposure to any specific class of substance (Mangat et al, 2019). Administration of these medications shows beneficial outcomes such as shorter and less severe hospitalizations post-delivery (Backes et al, 2012; Johnson et al, 2003; Kelly et al, 2015).…”

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Non-pharmacologic Interventions for the Maternal-Infant Dyad

“…19 However laser acupuncture needs to be further studied because other studies have demonstrated contradictory results. 20…”