Objective

The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of discharging stabilized neonates to complete their oral morphine weaning at home.

Study Design

This retrospective cohort study evaluated neonates treated with oral morphine at two hospitals in London, Ontario, Canada. Neonates who completed their morphine wean in hospital were compared with neonates who completed their morphine wean following discharge from hospital (at home).

Results

There were 80 neonates treated with oral morphine at two hospitals from 2006 to 2010. The majority (65 %, 52/80) of neonates completed their morphine weaning after hospital discharge and were significantly less likely to return to hospital for further withdrawal treatment (1/52 vs 4/28, p < 0.05). Neonates who were treated at home remained on morphine for more days (32 vs 19 days, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

We present the first North American cohort of neonates weaned with morphine at home for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). We found that more days on oral morphine resulted in fewer returns to hospital for continued withdrawal management. There was no evidence of increased effectiveness, measured by the number of returns to hospital for further NAS management with in-hospital weaning. The estimated cost savings of continued weaning upon discharge was approximately $11,000 per patient (Canadian dollars). While further prospective research is necessary, in some cases morphine weaning at home may present a safe and cost-effective strategy for NAS management.