Eat, Sleep, Console

When a baby is born exposed to opioids or other drugs, prescribed or otherwise, they may develop symptoms of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), also known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. This syndrome can cause tremors, excessive crying and irritability, and problems with sleeping and feeding. 

The Saint Luke’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in conjunction with Saint Luke's Postpartum and Newborn Care Unit, uses a family-centered approach called Eat, Sleep, Console. Our team was the first hospital in the region to implement Eat, Sleep, Console. 

Eat, Sleep, Console encourages involvement from parents and prioritizes care that doesn’t involve medication, such as swaddling, skin-to-skin contact, and oral feeding. Nurses and Ocuupational Therapists teach parents soothing techniques to help baby be more comfortable as they experience withdrawal symptoms.  

Traditionally, pharmacologic therapy using drugs such as morphine, phenobarbital and clonidine had been recommended for babies with NOWS. Medication may still be necessary, along with Eat, Sleep, Console, if a baby is struggling to eat or sleep.

Research at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, where the methodology was developed, showed this new approach helped gets babies out of the hospital sooner decreasing the average hospital stay from 22.4 days to 5.9 days and helped decrease the use of morphine for newborns from 98% to 14%.