The OPTimize NOW study will help us learn more about how to best care for babies with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, also called NOWS. Babies with NOWS often have tremors, a hard time sleeping, excessive crying, and trouble feeding. Some babies that have NOWS need medicine. Doctors have two ways of providing medicine that are widely used today:
- Scheduled opioid taper approach. The baby gets medicine at regular times. As symptoms get better, the amount of medicine a baby gets decreases until the baby no longer needs medicine. This is called a medicine taper.
- Symptom-based approach. The baby will only get medicine when they show signs of NOWS, instead of at regular times. If a baby is showing no signs of NOWS, no medicine will be given.
