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Clinical Trial Summary

This clinical trial will help us learn more about how to best care for babies with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, also called NOWS. Babies with NOWS often have tremors, a hard time sleeping, excessive crying, and trouble feeding. Some babies that have NOWS need medicine. Doctors have two ways of providing medicine that are widely used today: 1. Scheduled opioid taper approach. The baby gets medicine at regular times. As symptoms get better, the amount of medicine the baby gets decreases until the baby no longer needs medicine. This is called a medicine taper. 2. Symptom-based approach. The baby will only get medicine when they show signs of NOWS, instead of at regular times. If the baby is showing no signs of NOWS, no medicine will be given. We are doing the OPTimize NOW study to figure out the best way to give medicine to babies with NOWS.


Clinical Trial Description

This two-period cluster crossover clinical trial will compare the length of time from birth until medically ready for discharge between infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) who are ≥ 36 weeks' gestation, at risk for pharmacologic treatment, and treated for NOWS with either a symptom-based dosing approach or a scheduled opioid taper approach. Each study site (i.e., cluster) will be randomized in a 1:1 allocation ratio to one of two sequences: - A three-week run-in period followed by a scheduled opioid taper approach for five months (Period 1) followed by a three-week washout period followed by a symptom-based dosing approach for five months (Period 2) - A three-week run-in period followed by a symptom-based dosing approach for five months (Period 1) followed by a three-week washout period followed by scheduled opioid taper approach for five months (Period 2) The randomization scheme will be stratified by the assessment and management approach used at each study site (i.e., Finnegan or Eat, Seep and Console). ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT05980260
Study type Interventional
Source HELP for NOWS Consortium
Contact HELP for NOWS Consortium
Phone 202-974-7837
Email HELPforNOWS@rti.org
Status Recruiting
Phase Phase 3
Start date March 25, 2024
Completion date May 15, 2025

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Active, not recruiting NCT04057820 - Eating, Sleeping, Consoling for Neonatal Withdrawal (ESC-NOW): a Function-Based Assessment and Management Approach N/A
Recruiting NCT03911739 - Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Expectant Mothers: Infant Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Sub-study Phase 3
Completed NCT03608696 - Buprenorphine Pharmacometric Open Label Research Study of Drug Exposure Phase 1/Phase 2