Question
What are the speech and feeding challenges associated with neonatal abstinence syndrome?
Answer
When we think about infants specifically, we think about antenatal opioid exposure and its direct neurological impact on the developing brain. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is the withdrawal condition that can result. There are also environmental factors that can compound antenatal opioid exposure, including caregiver stress or instability, foster or kinship care placement, and socioeconomic stressors that can lead to poor coordination of care.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome babies may present with faster breathing or tachypnea, excessive sneezing, yawning, and hiccups, feeding difficulties, and impaired coordination of sucking and swallowing, which can lead to poor weight gain. Hyperphagia may be present, particularly in cases of methadone withdrawal. Research has also shown that antenatal opioid exposure can increase the risk of cleft lip and/or cleft palate, a condition characterized by communication, swallowing, and feeding challenges related to the anatomical challenges these babies are born with.
Delays and challenges in communication and swallowing development can occur as we age and have varying exposure to opioid medications over time. Some of these risks may linger from childhood or be the result of a medication interaction.
Early identification of populations at risk may help prevent long-term complications of opioid use. When we think of infants with antenatal exposure, we are aware of the conditions and challenges that exposure poses. For children who are in school systems or early intervention programs, understanding the impact that unintentional opioid use may have on speech and language development is important to keep in mind.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Opioids and Impact on Speech Development: What You Need to Know, presented by Susan Holmes-Walker, PhD, RN.
