Symptoms:

The symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome depend on:

• The type of drug the mother used
• How much of the drug she was taking
• For how long she used the drug
• Whether the baby was born full-term or early (premature)

Symptoms can begin within 1 - 3 days after birth, or they may take 5 - 10 days to appear. They may include:

• Blotchy skin coloring (mottling)
• Diarrhea
• Excessive crying or high-pitched crying
• Excessive sucking
• Fever
• Hyperactive reflexes
• Increased muscle tone
• Irritability
• Poor feeding
• Rapid breathing
• Seizures
• Sleep problems
• Slow weight gain
• Stuffy nose, sneezing
• Sweating
• Trembling (tremors)
• Vomiting

Signs and tests:

It is important to have your baby checked out by a pediatrician. Many other conditions can produce the same symptoms as neonatal abstinence syndrome.

The doctor will ask questions about the mother's drug use, such as what drugs she took during pregnancy, and when she last took them.

Tests that may be done to diagnose withdrawal in a newborn include:

• Neonatal abstinence syndrome scoring system, which assigns points based on each symptom and its severity. The infant' s score can help determine treatment.
• Toxicology screen of first bowel movements (meconium)
• Urine test (urinalysis)