Between 2010 and 2019, the incidence of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) among newborn hospitalizations in New York State increased by 270% (1.9 to 4.6 cases per 1,000 newborn hospitalizations)¹. In response, the New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) Perinatal Quality Collaborative (NYSPQC), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District II, the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, the Healthcare Association of New York State, and GNYHA led an improvement collaborative to help birthing hospitals provide appropriate, respectful care to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy and improve care for infants with NAS.
The New York State Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Project formally closed the five-year initiative in June with its final learning session for hospital participants. Since 2018, the OUD/NAS Project has hosted programming for hospitals and clinicians: 43 coaching webinars, 12 educational webinars, and three learning sessions, including buprenorphine waiver eligibility trainings for clinical providers. Participating hospitals implemented numerous strategies to improve outcomes for birthing people and their newborns, including incorporating resources developed by NYSPQC to educate providers and parents on how to care for a baby with NAS.
Tools and educational resources for patients and providers are available (in PDF or print). Please contact nyspqc@health.ny.gov for more information.
GNYHA is grateful to NYSPQC for its programming and technical quality improvement efforts to help hospitals enhance care for pregnant persons and their newborns. GNYHA’s Maternal Health and Well-Being Learning Series recently met to review State and local initiatives and highlight innovative programming. The event included a presentation of the Eat, Sleep, Console approach to treat newborns affected by substance use. GNYHA will continue to support member hospitals and provide resources with up-to-date information on advancing health equity and improving maternal health outcomes.
1 New York State Department of Health. (2022). “Infant Mortality in New York State, 2016-2019.” Retrieved from: https://www.health.ny.gov/community/infants_children/docs/infant_mortality_nys_2016-2019.pdf.