title: The opioid dependent mother and newborn- an update. The 6th Annual Ivey Symposium.
abstract: The sixth Ivey Chair Symposium, held at the University of Western Ontario in October 2011, was dedicated to an update on the complex issues surrounding opioid dependent mothers and their newborns. The day commenced with Loretta Finnegan who provided a historical overview of the complex issues surrounding the addicted mother and her baby suffering from neonatal withdrawal syndrome. It is remarkable that the tool devised by Dr Finnegan forty years ago is in wide use today, capturing accurately the severity of NAS and the need for follow up and treatment. She stressed that comprehensive approach to the care of pregnant drug-dependent mothers and their babies significantly reduces maternal and infant's morbidity. The risk of low birth weight and severe withdrawal can be reduced substantially when both patients in this dyad are optimally cared for. The seven speakers following her provided an update on the medicinal and non drug approach to treat the opioid-dependent mother and her newborn, including new Canadian guidelines which were just released.
authors.affiliation: The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abrahams
authors.forename: Claudette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chase
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Desmoulin
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kahan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Knoppert
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ordean
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roukema
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uddin
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*