What condition can a baby born to an opioid-dependent mother have?

• A. Neonatal jaundice
• B. Neonatal abstinence syndrome. the baby experiences opioid withdrawal 24-48 hrs after birth
• C. Neonatal sepsis
• D. Hypoglycemia

Answer: (B)

When a baby is exposed to opioids in the womb, withdrawal can occur after birth in a pattern called neonatal abstinence syndrome. The onset is usually within the first day or two after delivery, often within 24–48 hours for a term infant. The baby may be irritable and hard to soothe, have a high-pitched cry, tremors, increased wakefulness, sweating, yawning, sneezing, poor feeding with vomiting or loose stools, and rapid breathing. Hypertonia and sleep disturbances are common, and in more severe cases seizures can occur. Management focuses on assessing severity (often with a neonatal abstinence scoring system) and providing comfort measures like swaddling, minimized stimulation, and small, frequent feeds. If symptoms are moderate to severe or do not improve, pharmacologic treatment with opioid replacement (such as morphine or methadone) followed by a gradual taper is used.

Neonatal jaundice, while common for many newborns, is not specifically caused by opioid withdrawal. Neonatal sepsis presents differently, typically with infection signs like fever, lethargy, or poor perfusion. Hypoglycemia presents with low glucose and symptoms like jitteriness or poor feeding, not the withdrawal pattern described here.