Standardization of State Definitions for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Surveillance and the Opioid Crisis

Bibliographic Data

ID11039701
AuthorsKatelyn V Chiang (At the time of the writing of this article, Katelyn V. Chiang, Ekwutosi M. Okoroh, Laurin J. Kasehagen, and Jean Y. Ko were with the Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ekwutosi M. Okoroh and Jean Y. Ko are with the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Rockville, MD. Laurin J. Kasehagen is with the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Department of Mental Health,...), Ekwutosi M Okoroh (0000-0001-9346-2383, At the time of the writing of this article, Katelyn V. Chiang, Ekwutosi M. Okoroh, Laurin J. Kasehagen, and Jean Y. Ko were with the Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ekwutosi M. Okoroh and Jean Y. Ko are with the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Rockville, MD. Laurin J. Kasehagen is with the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Department of Mental Health,...), Laurin J Kasehagen (At the time of the writing of this article, Katelyn V. Chiang, Ekwutosi M. Okoroh, Laurin J. Kasehagen, and Jean Y. Ko were with the Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ekwutosi M. Okoroh and Jean Y. Ko are with the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Rockville, MD. Laurin J. Kasehagen is with the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Department of Mental Health,...), Laurin Kasehagen (0000-0002-9265-5412, The Centers), Luigi F Garcia-Saavedra (At the time of the writing of this article, Katelyn V. Chiang, Ekwutosi M. Okoroh, Laurin J. Kasehagen, and Jean Y. Ko were with the Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ekwutosi M. Okoroh and Jean Y. Ko are with the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Rockville, MD. Laurin J. Kasehagen is with the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Department of Mental Health,...), Jean Y Ko (0000-0003-0961-9793, At the time of the writing of this article, Katelyn V. Chiang, Ekwutosi M. Okoroh, Laurin J. Kasehagen, and Jean Y. Ko were with the Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Ekwutosi M. Okoroh and Jean Y. Ko are with the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Rockville, MD. Laurin J. Kasehagen is with the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Department of Mental Health,...)
Year2019
Volume109
Issue9
Pages1193-1197
Publication date2019-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2019.305170
PMID31318590
OpenAlexW2963676957
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited7

Rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) have increased fivefold in the past decade. To address this expanding and complex issue, state public health agencies have addressed the opioid crisis affecting newborns in diverse ways, leading to a variety of methods to quantify the burden of NAS. In an effort to understand this variability, we summarized clinical case and surveillance definitions used across jurisdictions in the United States. We confirmed that the rapid progression of the nation’s opioid crisis resulted in heterogeneous processes for identifying NAS. Current clinical case definitions use different combinations of clinician-observed signs of withdrawal and evidence of perinatal substance exposure. Similarly, there is discordance in diagnosis codes used in surveillance definitions. This variability makes it difficult to produce comparable estimates across jurisdictions, which are needed to effectively guide public health strategies and interventions. Although standardization is complicated, consistent NAS definitions would increase comparability of NAS estimates across the nation and would better guide prevention and treatment efforts for women and their infants

Abstinence · Comparability · Economics · Environmental health · Opioid · Opioid epidemic · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Public economics · Public health · Standardization · Variety (cybernetics) · Homelessness and Social Issues · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Medicine · Nursing · Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects

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