In response to the escalating opioid crisis and a surge in fentanyl-related deaths, Washington State University’s Spokane team, led by Celestina Barbosa-Leiker and including Ekaterina Burduli, an assistant professor in the College of Nursing, is embarking on a year-long study at Maddie’s Place—a unique transitional care nursery in Spokane catering to infants exposed to drugs in utero. The facility, a pioneer in the state, offers an alternative to traditional neonatal intensive care units, focusing on low-stimulating, soothing environments with specialized attention from trained nurses. Burduli emphasizes that babies exposed to opioids in utero tend to fare best in such environments, where they can room in with their mothers or caregivers around the clock.
The study, funded by a $189,496 grant from the Washington Health Care Authority, seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of Maddie’s Place, with Burduli highlighting the significance of non-pharmacological care, such as swaddling, skin-to-skin contact, and on-demand feeding. The research aims to address underreported cases, providing crucial insights into neonatal abstinence syndrome and contributing to strategies for mitigating the broader opioid epidemic.
In the news…
- Maddie’s Place seeks Medicaid funding to help treat Spokane’s drug-exposed infants, Treva Lind, spokesman.com
- One of four such facilities in the country, Maddie’s Place seeks to help Spokane’s drug-addicted babies and their parents, Samantha Wohlfeil, Inlander.com
- Special Report Preview: New hope for babies born addicted to drugs, Rob King, KXLY
- Special Report: Spokane non-profit helping babies born battling drug withdrawals, Rob King, KXLY
- WSU researchers study care given at Spokane transitional nursery for infants addicted in utero, Spokane Public Radio
