Each year the neonatal intensive care unit at Miami Valley Hospital sees an average of 90 babies born addicted to opioids and experiencing the painful symptoms of withdrawal called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). The hospital decided to launch a volunteer infant cuddler program. VIDEO: NBC NEWS | 12NewsNow

The Snuggler Scoop | Part 1: NAS Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is the term used to describe the set of symptoms a baby experiences when exposed to substances. Almost immediately after birth, their withdrawal symptoms might include tremoring, head thrashing, gut and intestinal stress, and irregular sleep patterns. At Maddie’s Place, our staff is trained to provide holistic, scientifically backed methods of consoling for these babies. We carefully track their symptoms on a day-to-day basis to asses

Infants in withdrawal stay in the NICU for an average of 24 days. The collection of withdrawal symptoms is what’s called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, and the Spokane rate was three- and one-half times the national rate in 2022, and things have only gotten worse. While the NICU is an important, lifesaving place for NAS infants with comorbidities, their staff is spread too thin to be able to offer babies in withdrawal without comorbidities the extra love and attention they need in the most critic