NASCEND

Technology-enhanced training & certification for healthcare systems to improve outcomes for OEI.

09/17/2026

Myth! Babies can experience physical dependence and withdrawal, known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), but dependence is not the same as addiction. Addiction involves compulsive drug-seeking behavior and craving, something an infant is not capable of.

Getting this distinction right matters. It's one of the most common misunderstandings that fuels stigma against moms on MAT, and that stigma can affect the care both moms and babies receive. With proper care, NAS symptoms are treatable and temporary.

09/15/2026

Some sounds stay with a nurse long after the shift ends. The cry of a newborn in withdrawal is one of them, and it's not something you learn to ignore, it's something you learn to answer.

Caring for infants in withdrawal takes patience most people will never fully understand. It means reading tiny cues, adjusting care minute by minute, and staying calm for a baby who can't tell you what hurts. It's slow, steady, exhausting work, and it's done shift after shift, often without anyone watching.

Today, we want to recognize the neonatal nurses doing this work every day. Thank you for the skill, the patience, and the heart you bring to some of the hardest, most important care there is.

09/10/2026

Did you know skin-to-skin contact, often called kangaroo care, can help reduce NAS symptom severity in newborns?

It's not just about comfort. SUD can affect bonding and attachment for both mom and baby, changes in a mother's brain chemistry and a baby's developing nervous system can make that early connection harder to build. Something as simple as skin-to-skin time in the NICU can help repair that bond and support a baby's nervous system as it regulates.

This is one small example of the compassionate care happening every day in NICU.

09/05/2026

Myth! Substance use disorder is considered a chronic, treatable disease, similar to diabetes or hypertension. It isn't "cured" in the traditional sense, but with the right treatment and support recovery is possible. Framing it as a medical condition instead of a moral failing matters. It's how we remove stigma and bias, and make it easier for people to seek recovery without fear of judgment.

09/03/2026

A mother's fear of being judged can keep her from going to the doctor. That same fear can be what keeps her from reaching recovery at all.

National Recovery Month is a reminder that recovery isn't just about treatment. It's about whether the people and systems around someone, including healthcare, make it possible to ask for help in the first place.

We train healthcare providers on caring for infants exposed to opioids, but a baby's outcomes start being shaped long before delivery, by the care a mother receives during pregnancy itself. That's exactly where shame and stigma can do the most damage. Fear of judgment, fear of losing custody, or fear of being reported can lead women to put off prenatal care until it's almost too late to make a difference.

Pregnancy is often the moment a woman decides she's ready for recovery. The provider she meets in that moment matters. She needs someone ready to meet her with skill and zero judgment. That's why we train providers to lead with safety, trust, and compassion in every conversation, not shame.

If you're a provider, a parent, or someone in recovery yourself: what's one thing you wish more people understood about pregnancy and recovery? Tell us in the comments.

08/27/2026

Mothers in MAT programs want to breastfeed. The research supports it. Major health organizations encourage it. And yet only 24% of them do. The barriers these mothers face are real and complex, from limited transportation and lack of privacy in hospital settings, to concerns about medication safety, fatigue, and the stigma that too many mothers in recovery still encounter in healthcare settings. These barriers are often outside of their control, and some of them live within our healthcare systems and practices, not out of bad intention, but out of gaps in education and support. We encourage every provider reading this to reflect on their own practice. What are you already doing to support these mothers? And where might there be room to do more? The good news is that those gaps are closable.

08/25/2026

Myth! Only 24% of mothers in MAT programs breastfeed, compared to 64% of the general population despite the benefits. So what is driving that gap? It is a question worth sitting with. Stay tuned for our next post where we dig into exactly that.

08/11/2026

Fact! Major health organizations including WHO, ACOG, and ABM support breastfeeding for mothers in stable recovery on supervised medication assisted treatment. The benefits of safely providing breast milk are significant for both mom and baby, and healthcare providers play an important role in encouraging and supporting that choice. There are important cautions providers should be aware of, and knowing both the benefits and the considerations is what allows them to offer truly informed, supportive care. That is exactly what our training is designed to address.

08/08/2026

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and we are kicking things off with an important conversation around breastfeeding in the context of NOWS. The benefits can be even greater for these infants, and any amount matters. This month we are covering the benefits, the risks, and what real support looks like for this population. Follow along.

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