NASCENT

Study Description

The Problem

Babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) have been exposed to drugs during pregnancy. This is a costly problem in Alberta that affects 250 to 300 babies per year and unfortunately, has become more common in the last 10 years. These babies are very difficult to care for with poor feeding, diarrhea, and extreme irritability (difficult to comfort). They often receive specialized care and medications in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), separating mother and baby at a time when it is most important that they be together. This separation is traumatic for families and expensive for the health and foster care systems, as babies often end up being cared for by governmental agencies.

The Solution

Establish a supportive environment in the hospital with ‘rooming-in’ to keep mothers and their babies with NAS together. Research has shown that keeping mothers and babies together after birth in a quiet, supportive environment in hospital, called ‘rooming-in’, decreases the need for NICU admission, reduces the amount of time spent in the NICU, increases rates of breastfeeding, and increases babies going home with their mothers who have also been involved in their hospital care.This project will systematically introduce an interdisciplinary program of ‘rooming-in’ to 8 participating hospitals in Alberta. We will determine if we can improve NAS care provided to babies born at >36 weeks gestation and their mothers. The goal is to decrease NICU admission and length of stay, increase the number of babies going home with their mothers, increase breastfeeding rates, and increase the number of women enrolled in supportive programs for substance use. This project will also assess whether this ‘rooming-in’ model of care decreases healthcare and societal costs associated with caring for babies with NAS in Alberta.

Study funding:    Alberta Innovates Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Health System (PRIHS)

Study status:    In progress

Please click here to view the NASCENT Protocol:  https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-023-09440-5