Treatment depends on:
The drug involved
The infant's overall health
Whether the baby was born full-term or premature
The health care team will watch the newborn carefully for signs of withdrawal, feeding problems, and weight gain. Babies who vomit or who are very dehydrated may need to get fluids through a vein (IV).
Infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome are often fussy and hard to calm. Tips to calm the infant down include:
Gently rocking the child
Reducing noise and lights
Swaddling the baby in a blanket
Some babies with severe symptoms need medicines such as methadone and morphine to treat withdrawal symptoms.
The goal of treatment is to prescribe the infant a drug similar to the one the mother used during pregnancy and slowly decrease the dose over time. This helps wean the baby off the drug and relieves some withdrawal symptoms. Breastfeeding may also be helpful.
Babies with this condition often have poor feeding or slow growth. These babies may need:
A higher-calorie formula that provides greater nutrition
Smaller portions given more often