Children’s & Women’s Hospital receives grant for neonatal abstinence syndrome

Maran Ramani, M.D., professor of pediatrics

and division chief of neonatology, will 

administer the grant.

By Casandra Andrews

The nationally recognized Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital has received a $175,000 grant from the City of Mobile to expand its neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) program.

The Mobile City Council voted March 11 to distribute $2.2 million from lawsuit settlements to several local organizations working to end the opioid crisis.

In 2024, the Helios Alliance was selected to develop a process for soliciting and evaluating proposals from local organizations combating opioid abuse and addiction. The Helios Alliance and an evaluation committee of community members reviewed 32 applications seeking funding derived from previous lawsuits the City of Mobile filed against opioid manufacturers. Of the applications submitted, 16 were approved.

The grant for USA Health will be administrated by Manimaran (Maran) Ramani, M.D., professor of pediatrics and division chief of neonatology, to implement a new framework to reduce hospital stays among infants prenatally exposed to opioids. Saminathan Anbalagan, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics and neonatologist who leads NAS care in the NICU, will serve as co-administrator of the grant.

“Our incredible team of providers, nurses, and caregivers at Children’s & Women’s Hospital have poured their hearts and expertise into studying and delivering top-notch care for the neonatal abstinence syndrome in the NICU. This funding is a game-changer for revamping our NAS program,” Ramani said. “With this grant, we will roll out the Eat, Sleep, Console care framework, a proven approach that dramatically reduces hospital days for neonates with opioid withdrawal syndrome without increasing adverse outcomes.”

The NICU staff includes a multidisciplinary team of neonatologists, nurses, educators, and therapists, all dedicated to providing the best care for the region’s tiniest patients. The area’s only Level III NICU offers the most advanced care for premature and critically ill newborns. The 98-bed NICU admits more than 1,000 infants each year and includes specialized rooms for babies with chemical dependency and those particularly susceptible to infection.

“In any daunting endeavor, success is rarely achieved by continuing to do the same thing — an understatement when it comes to the opioid crisis,” said Caroline Rutledge Etherton of the Helios Alliance. “A multi-layered, community-wide, dynamic initiative is necessary to create the mosaic of committed care and tangible support needed to address this crisis. It is clear that USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital is dedicated to making a meaningful impact, and (its) commitment to our community is greatly appreciated.”