title: Neonatal abstinence outcomes in post-acute care: A brief report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe characteristics and care outcomes in a pediatric post-acute rehabilitation hospital for infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic and clinical data were combined for 43 infants accounting for 46 admissions over a two-year period with a diagnosis of NAS and a goal of weaning from treatment medications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age at admission for the total sample was 21 days. One hundred percent of the infants were weaned from treatment medications at discharge and all infants were discharged to a home setting. Mean length of stay in post-acute care was 24 days (SD = 12.80; range = 4-70 days) while the mean cost of admissions was $27,904. Ninety-one percent had a public payer. Post-acute care clinical outcomes were excellent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-acute care for infants with NAS could be an effective way to free NICU beds and reduce hospital costs for this population of infants.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Franciscan Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Franciscan Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Helene M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Dumas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Franciscan Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leslie
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Infant; abstinence syndrome; hospital; neonatal; newborn; outcome