Sedatives for opiate withdrawal in newborn infants

When a sedative is needed to ameliorate symptoms in newborn infants with opiate withdrawal due to maternal opiate use in pregnancy, phenobarbitone is preferred. Use of opiates (commonly prescribed methadone or illicit heroin) by pregnant women may result in a withdrawal syndrome in their newborn infants. This may result in disruption of the mother-infant relationship, sleeping and feeding difficulties, weight loss and seizures. Treatments for newborn infants used to ameliorate these symptoms and reduce complications include opiates, sedatives (phenobarbitone or diazepam) and supportive treatments (swaddling, settling, massage, relaxation baths, pacifiers or waterbeds). Trials of sedatives have generally been of poor quality. Individual studies have reported that use of phenobarbitone compared to supportive care alone reduces the amount time an infant needs supportive care, is better than diazepam at preventing treatment failure and reduces the severity of withdrawal in infants treated with a opiate. In infants treated with an opiate, the addition of a sedative (phenobarbitone or clonidine) may reduce withdrawal severity, although safety and efficacy need confirming. The long term effects of use of phenobarbitone on an infant's development have not been determined.