One of the other things we used to do for babies of methadone mums at the
hospital where I worked in Australia was put them on an abstinence chart. I
assumed this was standard until I worked here in the USA and no-one at the
hospital I'm at now had heard of it. Essentially it is a regular "scoring"
for certain behaviours - high pitched cry, nasal stuffiness, fussiness at
feeding, irritability, jerky movements - I can't remember the exact list and
over a certain score they were seen by the paed resident. In some cases the
babies were monitored in the level 2 nursery and given light sedation while
withdrawing.
Using the tool for years certainly came in handy a week or so ago, I was in
report and someone commented on a baby that was particularly fussy whether
feeding or not, and had a lot of nasal stuffiness. On review of mum's
history it turned out she had a chemical abuse problem.

Kirsten Blacker
Perinatal Ed/ Ob RN
Minnesota

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