Managing Infants During the Withdrawal Period

Due to the impact of the drugs on the Central Nervous System, the drug-exposed infant needs help to maintain, control, and to organize itself.  These steps will help the child learn self-control and increase it’s ability to handle increasingly complex stimulation.

Step 1   Control Your Baby’s Environment

• –Reduce stimuli

• –Routine is important

•  –Use therapeutic handling techniques

Step 2   Learn Your Baby’s Cues

• –Respond to distress cues (yawns, sneezes, hiccoughs, tremors, eye aversion)

• –If you see the above signals, stop what you are doing. These are indications that the infant is over stimulated             

• -If she is unable to regain control, go to Step 3

Step 3   When the Infant Is Crying, Attempt to Calm Before She Reaches A Frantic State

• –With the infant swaddled and pacifier in mouth, curl the baby firmly against your body.
    Gently clap infant on diapered bottom in a rhythmical manner

• –Sway gently from side to side

Step 4   If your baby has not yet been able to regain control, you can try:

• –Holding swaddled infant with both hands and gently rock head-to-toe (vertical   rocking)

Step 5   Gradually introduce stimuli at the child’s pace and in ways she can tolerate

• – Introduce stimuli one at a time (light, sound, touch, voice, etc.)

• – Watch the infant’s cues and allow time out.

• – The infant may require swaddling and use of a pacifier to maintain an alert and calm state.

• – Interact with the infant when she is ready and in active/alert state – not just because you want to.

Step 6   Gradually Increase the Amount of Stimuli (visual, auditory and tactile)

• –Add these to your play.  Read the baby’s clues.  She will tell you what she can tolerate.  The stimulus that the baby can tolerate will probably vary from day-to-day or minute-to-minute

Step 7   As Your Infant’s Ability to Remain Calm Increases, Unwrap Him For Short Periods of Time

•  –This allows him to become used to controlling his own body.  Re-swaddle immediately as you read signs of stress.