The Alberta Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Mother-Baby Care ImprovEmeNT Program

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), is a common and costly problem in Alberta that affects approximately 250 babies per year exposed to drugs during pregnancy. Unfortunately, this has become more common in the last 10 years. Babies with NAS can be very difficult to care for with poor feeding, diarrhea, and extreme irritability. These babies often receive specialized care and medications in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which leads to separation of mothers and babies at a time when it is most important that they be together. This separation is traumatic for families and expensive for the health and foster care systems, as babies often end up being cared for by governmental agencies. Recent research has shown that keeping mothers and babies together in a quiet, supportive environment in hospital, called 'rooming in', leads to a decreased need for NICU admission, decreased amount