Abstract
With opioid use in North America rising, there is a growing incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Infants with NAS experience withdrawal signs that interfere with their occupational performance in activities of daily living. This scoping review aims to identify the non-pharmacologic interventions currently used in the treatment of infants with NAS that fall within the scope of the occupational therapy profession. Searching three databases, articles were independently reviewed by two authors to meet defined inclusion criteria. Forty-five articles were included, and the interventions identified and organized according to the Person-Environment-Occupation Model. The non-pharmacologic interventions identified fall within the scope of the occupational therapy profession. Initiating occupational therapy services in an acute care setting may have the potential to improve occupational performance and engagement for these infants from an early age.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Samantha A Oostlander
Samantha Ann Oostlander, BSc, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.), Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston ON, Canada
Jillian A Falla
Jillian Anne Falla, BScH, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.), Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston ON, Canada
Kimberly Dow
Kimberly Dow, MD, Department of Paediatrics/Neonatology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
Sandra Fucile
Sandra Fucile, PhD, OTR, OT Reg. (Ont.), Department of Paediatrics/Neonatology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada