New study tests smarter dosing for newborns hooked on opioids

NCT ID NCT05980260

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: HELP for NOWS Consortium Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looked at 626 full-term babies with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Doctors compared two ways of giving medicine: one where babies get medicine at set times, and another where they only get medicine when they show withdrawal signs. The goal was to see which approach helps babies get ready to go home sooner.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

opioid (morphine, methadone, or buprenorphine)

What this could lead to

If successful, this could show that giving medicine only when symptoms appear is better than a fixed schedule, leading to shorter hospital stays for babies with NOWS.

What could go wrong

This trial is completed but results are not yet widely known. The approach may not work for all babies, and individual responses to opioids vary.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

neonatal abstinence syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

NEONATAL OPIATE WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME

Contacts and locations

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Locations

AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center

Atlantic City, New Jersey, 08401, United States
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
ChristianaCare

Wilmington, Delaware, 19801, United States
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States
Good Samaritan Hospital

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202, United States
Kentucky Children's Hospital

Lexington, Kentucky, 40536, United States
Kettering Health Main Campus

Kettering, Ohio, 45429, United States
Norton Children's Hospital

Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, United States
Norton Women's and Children's Hospital

Louisville, Kentucky, 40207, United States
Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, United States
Pennsylvania Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States
Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Edgewood, Kentucky, 41017, United States
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205, United States
University of Kansas Hospital

Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States
University of Louisville Hospital

Jeffersonville, Indiana, 47130, United States
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, Nebraska, 68198, United States
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, United States
University of Rochester Medical Center

Rochester, New York, 14642, United States
University of South Florida Health

Tampa, Florida, 33606, United States
University of Utah Health

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84158, United States