Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/30611
Appears in Collections:Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Diagnosing uncertainty, producing neonatal abstinence syndrome
Author(s): Chandler, Amy
Whittaker, Anne
Cunningham-Burley, Sarah
Elliott, Lawrie
Midgley, Paula
Cooper, Sarah
Contact Email: anne.whittaker@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: drug use
pregnancy
parenting
diagnosis
qualitative
Issue Date: Aug-2020
Date Deposited: 13-Jan-2020
Citation: Chandler A, Whittaker A, Cunningham-Burley S, Elliott L, Midgley P & Cooper S (2020) Diagnosing uncertainty, producing neonatal abstinence syndrome. Sociology of Health and Illness, 42 (S1), pp. 35-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13000
Abstract: The use of alcohol and other drugs during pregnancy is understood to be an important public health problem. One way in which this problem is expressed and responded to is via the identification and treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). In this article, we demonstrate how the processes of anticipating, identifying and responding to NAS are characterised by significant uncertainty among parents and health and social care practitioners. We draw on interviews with 16 parents who had recently had a baby at risk of NAS, and multidisciplinary focus groups with 27 health and social care professionals, held in Scotland, UK. NAS, and drug use in pregnancy, is a fraught and complex arena. Parents in the UK who use opioids risk losing custody of children, and must navigate a high degree of surveillance, governance and marginalisation. We suggest that considering NAS as a social diagnosis, further informed by Mol's political ontology of ‘multiple’ bodies/diseases, may help to produce clinical and social responses to uncertainty which avoid, rather than promote, further marginalisation of parents who use drugs. One such response is to develop a culture of relationship‐based care which empowers both service providers and service users to challenge existing practice and decision‐making.
DOI Link: 10.1111/1467-9566.13000
Rights: This item has been embargoed for a period. During the embargo please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author. You can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Chandler, A., Whittaker, A., Cunningham-Burley, S., Elliott, L., Midgley, P. and Cooper, S. (2020), Diagnosing uncertainty, producing neonatal abstinence syndrome. Sociology of Health & Illness, 42: 35-50, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13000. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Licence URL(s): https://storre.stir.ac.uk/STORREEndUserLicence.pdf

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