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Case Reports
. 2019;12(1):109-112.
doi: 10.3233/NPM-1863.

Natural drugs, not so natural effects: Neonatal abstinence syndrome secondary to 'kratom'

L Davidson  1 , M Rawat  1 , S Stojanovski  2 , P Chandrasekharan  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Natural drugs, not so natural effects: Neonatal abstinence syndrome secondary to 'kratom'

L Davidson et al. J Neonatal Perinatal Med. 2019.

Abstract

Background: Mitragyna speciosa, also known as kratom, is obtained from the coffee plant family 'Rubiaceae.' Kratom is available in the form of capsules, whole, processed and powdered leaves, and as liquids. Secondary to its 'natural herb' status and opioid effects, it is misconceived to be a safe alternative for the treatment of chronic pain. The use of kratom has increased by tenfold in the United States since 2010.

Methods and results: We report a term neonate who was born to a chronic kratom user and required treatment with opiates for neonatal drug withdrawal.

Conclusion: Physicians should be aware of these herbal supplements and its potential withdrawal effects in newborn which cannot be picked up by the standard toxicology screen.

Keywords: Kratom; NAS – neonatal abstinence syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig.1
Fig.1
The figure shows the pharmacological management of the infant. X-axis shows the days, while y-axis shows the modified Finnegan scores (bar graph) and the secondary y-axis the dose of morphine (line graph).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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