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Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Rates Linked to Disadvantaged Conditions
Data from eight states covering the period from 2009-2015 suggest an association between poor economic conditions and higher incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in children.
Results were published in JAMA, and covered urban and rural NAS cases and economic data from all counties in Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Washington. The data indicated that regions with higher long-term unemployment and a shortage of mental health professionals were likely to have a higher incidence of NAS.
The researchers stated that there remains no clear consensus as to why a lack of economic opportunity contributes to increased rates of opioid misuse in a county.
The researchers found a substantial increase in overall rates of NAS over the study period. The rate per 1,000 hospital births increased from 3.2 to 14.5, they reported. The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
