Abstract
Background: The rate of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) increased by more than 500% between 2004 and 2016. Although feeding problems among infants diagnosed with NAS have been documented, the risk of feeding problems among infants diagnosed with NAS has not been estimated.
Purpose: This study evaluates the extent to which feeding problems among infants diagnosed with NAS differ from thise in infants without an NAS diagnosis.
Methods/Search Strategy: A matched retrospective cohort study (2008-2017) of infants diagnosed with NAS in the United States was conducted using hospital admission data from the Cerner Health Facts Database. Multivariable logistic regressions controlling for confounders were used to assess whether an NAS diagnosis is associated with hospital admission due to feeding problems.
Findings/Results: Infants with NAS were nearly 3 times as likely (OR = 2.81; 95% CI, 2.68-2.95) to have feeding problems compared with infants without NAS after adjusting for infant and hospital characteristics. Lower birth weight, higher infant age, Hispanic ethnicity, and hospital location in the Midwest region were also associated with higher odds of feeding problems. Infants diagnosed with NAS who had feeding problems had slightly lower odds of being offered lactation services than infants without NAS who had feeding problems.
Implications for Practice: These findings suggest the need for targeted feeding interventions.
Implications for Research: Future research on infants with NAS may build on these findings by assessing the role of maternal factors such as nutrition and substance use to understand how parental characteristics also influence the risk for hospitalization.