Prevalence of neurological symptoms in newborns with withdrawal syndrome A single-center observational study.

Abstract

Introduction: Neonatal abstinence syndrome is a growing global problem caused by the rapid increase in drug use. It is characterized by neurological symptoms such as high-pitched cry, tremors, seizures, lethargy, Moro reflex, and hypertonia up to two weeks of age. The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of withdrawal syndrome in children of mothers who use drugs.

Methodology: The study was a prevalence, descriptive, and observational study. The primary source of information was a database provided by the Liborio Panchana Sotomayor General Hospital. This database included all patients who received a final diagnosis of "withdrawal syndrome" during the study period.

Results: Thirty-four newborns with withdrawal syndrome were recorded; 64.71% were male. The mean age at which clinical manifestations appeared was 1.35 days. High-pitched crying was the most frequent symptom in 29.41% of cases. The substance most commonly used by pregnant women was "H," accounting for 91.2% of all cases.

Conclusions: These results confirm the importance of establishing timely detection and management protocols to ensure appropriate treatment for at-risk newborns, thus addressing a growing public health problem.