California Health Care Improvement Projects (CHIPs) are designed by CHCF Health Care Leadership Program participants with the goal of addressing meaningful challenges or opportunities in health care.
Background: Substance abuse by pregnant women is a public health crisis. In, 2019, the U.S. was in the grips of an epidemic, with >70,000 opioid drug overdoses. In 2020 ED visits for opioid abuse went up 45% and studies have estimated an almost 30% increase in opioid overdoses. This has resulted in an ever-increasing number of babies struggling with highly traumatic abstinence (NIDA).
Problem: 40 percent of pregnant women use substances like alcohol, cigarettes, opiates, meth, and/or marijuana. At least 15 percent of women use illicit substances during pregnancy, with opioids and methamphetamine being the primary drugs of choice in California. Medical care costs for infants with NAS are 9 times higher. NAS affects vital functions that permit growth and normalcy; sleep, eating, and elimination. The impact of long-term outcomes of NAS on neurodevelopment is strongly related to the caregiving environment. There are limited if any resources specific to caregivers of infants suffering from NAS.
Goal: The NAS CARE Resource Kit will provide support to parents/caregivers and providers of substance-exposed infants. With attuned caregiving, it is possible to ameliorate infant outcomes & reduce medical and social welfare costs.
Outcome Objective: To bring awareness, education, and skills to parents/caregivers of substance-affected newborns. To promote caregiver capability and stability and decrease the pain/suffering of these infants and, thus increasing the likelihood that they will have a better outcome in life (developmentally& socially).