Buprenorphine Halves Length Of Treatment For Newborns Withdrawing From Opioids

Newborns withdrawing from opioids had a shorter median duration of treatment when treated with buprenorphine than with morphine. The median duration of treatment with buprenorphine lasted 15 days; with morphine, the median duration lasted 28 days. The median length of hospital stay lasted 21 days with buprenorphine treatment, and 33 days with morphine treatment. Fewer newborns (15%) treated with buprenorphine were also given adjunctive phenobarbital, compared to those treated with morphine (23%). The rate of adverse events were similar for the two groups.

These findings were reported in “Buprenorphine for the Treatment of the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome” by Walter K . . .