Prenatal opioid exposure heightens sympathetic arousal and facial expressions of pain/distress in term neonates at 24-48 hours post birth.
Christiana N Oji-MmuoRebecca R SpeerFumiyuki C GardnerMegan M MarvinAlexia C HozellaKim Kopenhaver DohenyPublished in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (2019)
Prenatal opioid exposure was associated with heightened sympathetic arousal during both pain and recovery phases and higher facial expressions of pain/distress at baseline only. A multimodal system of assessment may be useful in understanding the complexity and severity of opioid withdrawal associated with NAS.