Substance Exposed Newborn (SEN):

Charlotte County Substance Exposed Newborn (SEN) Taskforce formed in May of 2017 as part of the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) taskforce on Maternal and Child Health.

The group consists of nurses and community partner representatives from various agencies including Bayfront Hospital, DOH-Charlotte, Charlotte County Healthy Start Coalition, Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, Drug Free Charlotte County, Florida Department of Children and Families, Healthy Families, The United Way of Charlotte County, Charlotte Behavioral Health Care, Port Charlotte Seventh-day Adventist Church and Operation PAR, Inc. (the local medication assisted treatment program).

The SEN Task Force is committed to reducing the number of babies exposed to substances and improving the health outcomes of families who use substances. Community partners provide trauma informed care and support to families affected by ACEs. Agencies work collaboratively to empower families to recover and provide safe, stable, drug free homes for their children.

Task Force efforts have paid off as is evidenced by a decrease in length of neonatal intensive care (NICU) hospital stay at Bayfront Hospital. The national average length of stay for SEN babies was 19 days in 2017. It was 27 days at Port Charlotte’s Bayfront Hospital in 2017. The Bayfront average length of stay in 2021 is 10 days as of October 2021. This reduction in length of NICU stay was accomplished by providing early support to families and implementing the Eat, Sleep, and Console treatment plan for care of SENs after delivery. Every attempt is made to keep the babies with their parents. The parents and staff use nonpharmacological methods like skin to skin, breastfeeding, low lighting, low volume, and aromatherapy instead of morphine to help a baby avoid severe withdrawal from opioids and other harmful substances.

The group is going strong and continues to do wonderful work for Charlotte County moms, dads, caregivers, and babies. Thank you to all members of the SEN Task Force for the work you do to combat Adverse Childhood Experiences in our county!

- Prepared by Ann Monville, DOH-Charlotte