Health Services Use Among Children With Prenatal Substance Exposure or Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Objective

Infants with prenatal substance exposure or neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) use health services more often than other children; however, little is known about their use of mental health services and psychotropic medication.

Methods

The sample (N=1,004,085) consisted of infants born in 2016 in 38 states who were followed through the fifth year of life and enrolled each year in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Infants with prenatal substance exposure or NAS were identified with ICD-10 diagnosis codes; procedure and revenue codes documented their service use.

Results

Rates of any mental health visit and of psychotropic medication use were higher among infants with prenatal substance exposure or NAS compared with infants without either condition; these patterns persisted during most years of the 5-year study.

Conclusions

Infants’ elevated mental health services use through their first 5 years of life highlights the importance of early screening and subsequent engagement in school-based mental health interventions.