Acoustic Cry Analyzer for the Diagnosis of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS)

Primary Investigators: Barry Lester PhD, Stephen Sheinkopf PhD, Harvey Silverman PhD. 

The national opioid epidemic has called for more objective measures of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), the withdrawal that occurs when a newborn withdraws from certain drugs they were exposed to during pregnancy, such as prescription opioid medications. Current methods to diagnose NOWS rely heavily on perceived cry characteristics (e.g., pitch, amount of crying) which are highly subjective. We have developed an automated, computerized Infant Cry Analyzer (ICA) that quantifies the acoustic characteristics of infant cries. This system provides a reliable, objective measure of the acoustic properties of cry necessary for the accurate diagnosis and clinical management of NOWS. Our objective is to quantify the acoustic characteristics of cries of infants with NOWS. This proof-of-concept project will enable us to collect data to aid in the development of an automated, hand held device to indicate whether an infant's cry is symptomatic of NOWS. This project could provide a more accurate tool to use in the diagnosis of NOWS, thereby reducing the likelihood of misdiagnosis, and improve the treatment and management of infants exposed prenatally to opioids. 

Clinical Markers of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS)

Primary Investigators: Barry Lester PhD, Elisabeth Conradt PhD

Opioid use in adults, including pregnant women, has skyrocketed in recent years which led to the government's declaration of the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency in 2017. Newborns exposed to opioids prenatally are at high risk for developing a drug withdrawal syndrome known as Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). In this proposal we will test novel, noninvasive clinical predictors of NOWS including newborn neurobehavior, cry acoustics, and adverse socioeconomic environments, and chart the neurodevelopmental outcome of newborns with NOWS. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop tools that will allow clinicians to intervene early, improve care, and improve long term developmental outcome for infants exposed to opioids during pregnancy.