Substance Exposed Newborns
Dear CHD Directors, Administrators, Directors of Nursing and Healthy Start Coalitions,
A spreadsheet was recently distributed displaying newborn withdrawal trends (2005-2010) by county. There have been questions to the Department of Health as to from where the data came; therefore the spreadsheet has been revised (attached) to reflect the source, measure, drugs included and the ICD-9 CM Code used.
Please note the following:
§ The data was obtained from Agency for Health Care’s (AHCA) hospital discharge data for babies diagnosed with NAS (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome).
§ The numbers and rates of hospital discharges of newborns with Drug Withdrawal Syndrome should be interpreted and compared with caution. The reason for the caution is that the diagnosis and documenting practices may vary substantially by physician, hospital, or county.
Please share this email with others that you know received the previous spreadsheet on newborn withdrawal trends. If you have any questions please direct them to Kyla_Shelton@doh.state.fl.us
Newborn_Drug_Withdrawal_in_Florida_2005-2010.pdf