Newborn Patients of Mothers with Substance Abuse: Providing proper health care for mothers and their babies

It is important to identify high-risk women abusing drugs in order to provide good care for them and their babies. These infants require close observation after birth for perinatal complications withdrawal, long-term neurobehavioral abnormalities (even with drug use only early in pregnancy), and sudden infant death syndrome. The degree of withdrawal is not an indicator of outcome. Early involvement of Child Protective Services is important for this group, at risk for abuse and neglect.