Comparing medicines for newborns with opioid withdrawal
HEAL Initiative: Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome Pharmacological Treatments Comparative Effectiveness Trial Clinical Site
This project compares different medicines to help newborns who have withdrawal symptoms after being exposed to opioids before birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169028 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your baby was exposed to opioids before birth and develops withdrawal, this site will enroll them and give one of the medicines being compared to see which works best. Initial care and treatment happen in the UAMS neonatal intensive care unit, and follow-up visits are done at the Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute. The team will use phone and electronic messages, financial incentives, easy scheduling, and case managers to help families stay in the project. Study staff will track symptoms, hospital stay length, and developmental check-ups over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are newborns exposed to opioids before birth who develop neonatal opioid withdrawal and whose families can receive care at UAMS/Arkansas Children's Hospital.
Not a fit: Babies without prenatal opioid exposure or those too medically unstable for standard treatment protocols would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify which medicine helps newborns recover faster with fewer side effects, improving treatment choices.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller trials have tested medications like morphine and methadone with mixed results, so larger head-to-head trials like this aim to provide clearer answers.
Where this research is happening
Little Rock, United States
- Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis — Little Rock, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hall, Richard Whittington — Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
- Study coordinator: Hall, Richard Whittington
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.