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Objective: The opioid epidemic has led to a surge in diagnoses of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Many states track the incidence of NOWS by using the P96.1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code for “neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs of addiction.” In October 2018, an ICD-10-CM code for neonatal opioid exposure (P04.14) was introduced. This code can be used when an infant is exposed to opioids in utero but does not have clinically significant withdrawal symptoms. We analyzed the effect of the P04.14 code on the incidence rate of NOWS (P96.1) and “other” neonatal drug exposure diagnoses (P04.49). Methods: We used private health insurance data collected for infants in the United States from the first quarter of 2016 through the third quarter of 2021 to describe incidence rates for each code over time and examine absolute and percentage changes before and after the introduction of code P04.14. Results: The exclusive use of code P96.1 declined from an incidence rate per 1000 births of 1.08 in 2016-2018 to 0.70 in 2019-2021, a −35.7% (95% CI, −47.6% to −23.8%) reduction. Use of code P04.49 only declined from an incidence rate of 2.34 in 2016-2018 to 1.64 in 2019-2021, a −30.0% (95% CI, −36.4% to −23.7%) reduction. Use of multiple codes during the course of treatment increased from an average incidence per 1000 births of 0.56 in 2016-2018 to 0.79 in 2019-2021, a 45.5% (95% CI, 24.8%-66.1%) increase. Conclusion: The introduction of ICD-10-CM code P04.14 altered the use of other neonatal opioid exposure codes. The use of multiple codes increased, indicating that some ambiguity may exist about which ICD-10-CM code is most appropriate for a given set of symptoms.

IMPACT: This study evaluates the long term effects of pharmacologic weaning therapy for opiate exposed infants. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Infants born to chronic opioid users often suffer from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a condition characterized by tremors, diarrhea, hyperirritability and an inconsolable high-pitched cry. Symptoms are treated with pharmacologic weaning therapy, but long-term effects of this treatment have not been established. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A sample of infants born between 2011-2017 was obtained from a large metropolitan hospital system. All infants who were exposed to opioids and received a Finnegan score were included in the sample (N=1,807). The analysis utilizes three dependent variables to measure developmental delay: motor delay, language delay or any delay, which includes general/non-specific delay in addition to motor and language delay. The treatment is defined as receipt of pharmacologic therapy with methadone or morphine. Maximum Finnegan score was also included as a continuous measure of the extent of the infant’s withdrawal symptoms. Linear models were utilized to determine a relationship between pharmacologic therapy and developmental delay with Maximum Finnegan score as an interaction term. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In the linear models examining the main effects of weaning therapy on developmental delay, there was no relationship between pharmacologic therapy and motor delay (p=.260), language delay (p=.542) or any developmental delay (p=.176). When maximum Finnegan score was entered into the model as an interaction term the relationships were not significant. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: These results suggest that while pharmacologic weaning is an appropriate treatment for withdrawal symptoms in infants, it is not a deterrent against developmental delays associated with NAS. This provides support suggest an increased focus on non-pharmacologic interventions such as breastfeeding as the first line of treatment for NAS infants.