6.5 Signs/Symptoms of Drug Withdrawal:
Some of the rural areas across the state do not have hospitals that routinely conduct drug testing on the mother and infant at delivery. As a result, hospital staff, and consequently CD staff, has to rely on signs and symptoms present at the time of birth and during hospitalization. With the newborn, signs and symptoms of drug withdrawal are easily confused with neurologic impairment, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hypocalcemia, and sepsis. The following are lists of general observable perinatal effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on the mother and infant.
Some general maternal complications that might be observed include:
- neurologic abnormalities;
- cardiovascular abnormalities;
- presentation of infectious diseases;
- respiratory abnormalities;
- gastrointestinal abnormalities;
- nutritional deficiencies, and
- psychiatric difficulties
Some general obstetrical complications might include:
- spontaneous abortions;
- preterm labor;
- abruptio placenta (placenta detaches from the uterine wall);
- placental previa (placenta presents before the neonate in the birth canal);
- fetal distress, and
- intrauterine fetal death
Some general neonatal complications that might be observed include:
- birth defects (e.g. Fetal Alcohol syndrome (FAS), cleft lip, cleft palate, genitourinary abnormalities, etc);
- intrauterine growth restriction (IURG);
- low birth weight;
- small for gestational age;
- neurobehavioral problems;
- prematurity, and
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
W – Wakefulness
I -- Irritability
T -- Tremulousness, temperature variation, tachypnea (respiratory cough)
H -- Hyperactivity, high-pitched persistent cry, hyperreflexia (decreased fine motor control)
D – Diarrhea, disorganized suck
R – Rub marks, respiratory distress
A – Apneic attacks (temporarily stop breathing)
W – Weight loss or failure to gain weight
A – Alkalosis (abnormally high level of alkalinity in body fluids)
L – Lacrimation (excess secretion of tears)