A Scoping Review of Non‐Opioid Therapeutics for Opioid Withdrawal: Translational Relevance to Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) Research

Abstract In the wake of the ongoing opioid epidemic, the incidence of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) has surged. While the short‐term effects of NOWS are well‐characterized, long‐term physiological and molecular consequences remain unclear. First‐line NOWS treatments include non‐pharmacological interventions; however, most infants who require medication are primarily treated with more opioids, such as morphine, weaned over time. This practice may be counterintuitive given recent preclinical evidence linking prenatal opioid exposure (POE) to neuroinflammation, as well as cognitive deficits in