Pharmacologic management of neonatal abstinence syndrome in a community hospital.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome has become a growing concern in infants born to substance-abusing mothers in the State of Florida. At Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, FL, methadone and morphine treatment strategies have been formulated to manage symptomatic neonates after birth. We report our findings over a 5-year period utilizing each of these protocols in a community hospital setting.