Neurostimulation to Improve NOWS Outcomes

Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring System (FNASS) is a validated assessment tool designed to measure 21 signs of withdrawal in infants. The tool provides a means to rate severity of withdrawal symptoms every three hours after feeding using a standard format.

Defined as the number of calendar days from first q3h opioid administration through the 48-hour observation period

Defined as the number of calendar days from date of birth through date of discharge

The NNNS is a comprehensive and systematic assessment of an infant's response to a variety of items including handling, spontaneous behavior, motor activity and self-soothing as indicators of neurobehavioral performance. The NNNS examines neurobehavioral organization, neurological reflexes, motor development, active and passive tone, and signs of stress and withdrawal of the at-risk and drug-exposed infant. The NNNS document the range of withdrawal and stress behavior likely to be observed in intervention with substance-exposed infants. The scale consists of 13 domains: habituation, attention, arousal, regulation, handling procedures, quality of movement, excitability, lethargy, nonoptimal reflexes, asymmetric reflexes, hypertonicity, hypotonicity, and stress/abstinence scale. Summary scores are calculated and compared with percentile scores to determine how an infant compares with an at-risk sample. The NNNS has good psychometric properties and reliability.

Defined as the date where all of the following criteria are met: age of at least 96 hours, a period of at least 48 hours without receipt of an opioid, at least 24 hours without respiratory support and with 100% oral feeding, at least 24 hours from initiation of maximum caloric density

The Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) is a validated pain scale utilized in the NICU. There are six components to the NIPS: facial expression, crying, breathing patterns, arm and leg movements, and state of arousal. The NIPS scale scoring ranges from 0-7, with scores greater than 3 indicating discomfort. A score of 3 is similar to the pain level associated with a heel stick procedure to obtain blood and the maximum score of 6 is similar to a circumcision procedure without analgesia. This measure will be taken immediately prior to, during, and after tAN therapy.

The ASQ-3 is a parent-completed developmental screening tool that pinpoints developmental progress in children between the ages of one month to 5 ½ years. The ASQ-3 is a series of 19 age-specific questionnaires screening communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal adaptive skills; results in a pass/fail score for domains.

The SP-2 is a set of norm-referenced, parent and teacher questionnaires designed to assess the sensory processing patterns of children from birth through 14 years, 11 months. Information obtained from the Sensory Profile 2 helps identify ways sensory processing may be contributing to or interfering with a child's participation in home, school, and community. There are five different forms selected based on age: 1) Infant Sensory Profile 2 - Birth to 6 months; 2) Toddler Sensory Profile - 7 to 35 months; 3) Child Sensory Profile 2 - 3 to 15 years; 4) Short Sensory Profile 2 - 3 to 15 years; and 5) School Companion Sensory Profile 2 - 3 to 15 years. Each of the forms includes some combination of Sensory System, Behavioral, and Sensory Pattern scores.

The BSID-III is an extensive formal developmental assessment tool for diagnosing developmental delays in early childhood. The BSID-III has three main subtests; the Cognitive Scale, the Language Scale, and the Motor Scale.