Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) /Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), Clinical Pathway, Inpatient

Family Support Services and Communication Plan

Family Support Services

Consults
Social Work	Provide emotional support, communication Determines Child Protective Services reporting, involvement
Lactation Consultant	Encourage and support mothers to breastfeed when able Provide comfort recommendations for mothers who choose not to breastfeed Provide recommendations for breastfeeding safety while taking different medications
PT/OT	Consider consult if infant requires PRN or scheduled pharmacologic treatment

Family Communication Plan

Ensure each family is given NAS Brochure.
Obtain best numbers to reach the family and optimal time to call.
Encourage someone from the family to be present at bedside as often as possible. Preference is to always have someone with infant, if possible.
Update mother/parents daily about infant.
If infant is admitted to NICU and requires pharmacologic care, schedule family meeting twice monthly or as needed.
Establish Plan of Safe Care.
Assist family in choosing PCP.

If you have questions about any of the clinical pathways or about the process of creating a clinical pathway, please contact us.

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The clinical pathways are based upon publicly available medical evidence and/or a consensus of medical practitioners at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (“CHOP”) and are current at the time of publication. These clinical pathways are intended to be a guide for practitioners and may need to be adapted for each specific patient based on the practitioner’s professional judgment, consideration of any unique circumstances, the needs of each patient and their family, and/or the availability of various resources at the health care institution where the patient is located.

Accordingly, these clinical pathways are not intended to constitute medical advice or treatment, or to create a doctor-patient relationship between/among The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (“CHOP”), its physicians and the individual patients in question. CHOP does not represent or warrant that the clinical pathways are in every respect accurate or complete, or that one or more of them apply to a particular patient or medical condition. CHOP is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the clinical pathways, or for any outcomes a patient might experience where a clinician consulted one or more such pathways in connection with providing care for that patient.