The Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015 (POIA) became law on November 25, 2015. The Act (Public Law 114-91) addressed problems related to prenatal opioid exposure called for HHS to review planning and coordination of HHS activities related to prenatal opioid exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and to study and develop recommendations for the prevention, identification, and treatment of NAS as well as the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in pregnant women. In May of 2017 HHS released a POIA strategy to address gaps in research, overlap of federal programs and coordination of federal efforts to address NAS and NOWS. Section 7062 of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-271, enacted October 24, 2018) requires a report about the implementation of the recommendations in the POIA strategy, to be submitted to specified congressional committees and made available to the public on the Department's website. HHS developed an implementation plan focusing on preventing prenatal opioid exposure, providing evidence-based treatment for both mother and infant, increasing the accessibility of family-friendly services for pregnant and parenting women with OUD, supporting continuing education for healthcare providers, and determining optimal family and developmental support services for children who have experienced prenatal opioid exposure. [101 PDF pages]
For additional information about this subject, you can visit the HHS/ASPE/Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy home page at http://aspe.hhs.gov/office-disability-aging-and-long-term-care-policy-daltcp or contact the ASPE Project Officer, Kristina West, at HHS/ASPE/DALTCP, Room 424E, H.H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, Kristina.West@hhs.gov.