STREET. RESEARCHERS AT TAKE PART IN A STUDY HELPING INFANTS WITHDRAWING FROM OPIOIDS. THE CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE WAS ONE OF 26 SITES FOR THIS STUDY, WHICH WAS JUST PUBLISHED IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. AND JOINING US LIVE TO TALK ABOUT THE STUDY AND ITS FINDINGS, ONE OF THE RESEARCHERS AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DR. ANNE ANDERSON. BARRY, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME TODAY. DR. LET’S START WITH WHY IS IT SO CRITICAL TO FIND A STANDARD OF CARE FOR THESE INFANTS WHO ARE BORN WITH AN OPIOID EXPOSURE? YEAH, THESE INFANTS ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS AND EVEN DEATH IF THEY AREN’T TREATED APPROPRIATELY. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE STANDARD TREATMENT KEPT BABIES SEPARATE FROM THEIR MOMS IN THE NICU INSTEAD OF IN MOTHER BABY CARE. AND IT ALSO HAD THE POTENTIAL TO EXPOSE BABIES TO LONG COURSES OF POST NATAL OPIOIDS, WHICH WE BELIEVE IS NOT GOOD FOR BABIES. BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR A BETTER WAY TO TREAT BABIES AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FAMILY UNIT WAS CENTER IN THE CARE OF THESE INFANTS. THAT MAKES SENSE. HOW MANY BABIES HAVE THIS ISSUE? DR. AND WHAT DOES OPIOID WITHDRAWAL LOOK LIKE FOR A LITTLE BABY? YEAH. WELL, JUST IN TWO SHORT YEARS, THIS STUDY ENROLLED. 1300 INFANTS IN THE 26 SITES, AND THAT’S JUST A FRACTION OF THE INFANTS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR. AND THE SYMPTOMS CAN BE VERY MILD, LIKE POOR FEEDING AND DIARRHEA, OR THEY CAN BE VERY PROFOUND LIKE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS WITH BREATHING, EVEN SEIZURES, ELECTROLYTE ABNORMALITIES THAT CAUSE REALLY DANGEROUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS. AND POOR SLEEP, POOR FEEDING WEIGHT LOSS. SO THEY CAN BE VERY PROFOUND IF THEY’RE NOT TREATED APPROPRIATELY. WHY IS THIS NUMBER SO HIGH? WELL, WE HAVE AN OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN OUR COUNTRY. AND MANY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IMPACTING ON ADULTS. BUT ADULTS HAVE CHILDREN. WOMEN HAVE CHILDREN EVERY DAY, AND THEY HAVE IMPACT OF THEIR INFANTS IN UTERO. AND IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE TO BE OPIOID MISUSE DISORDER. SOME WOMEN HAVE VERY COMPLICATED MEDICAL CASES DURING THEIR PREGNANCY WHERE THEY HAVE CHRONIC CONDITIONS OR THEY HAVE AN ACCIDENT OR A SURGERY THAT REQUIRES OPIOID EXPOSURE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. AND SO THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS WHY BABIES ARE EXPOSED TO OPIOID OPIOIDS AND NEED OBSERVATION AND POTENTIAL TREATMENT AFTER DELIVERY. WHAT’S THE LONG TERM OUTCOME FOR A CHILD BORN ADDICTED TO OPIOIDS? WELL, THAT IS PART OF THE STUDY. IT’S THE TWO YEAR FOLLOW UP STUDY THAT HOPEFULLY WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. WE’RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS, THE ONES THAT WERE IN THE INTERVENTION ARM HAD LESS POSTNATAL OPIOID EXPOSURE AND SHORTER HOSPITAL STAYS. AND SO WE’RE HOPING THAT THEIR NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FROM THE DELAYED NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES THAT OPIOID BABIES CAN BE AT RISK FOR. REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION. DR. ANDERSON BARRY, THANK YOU SO MU