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

We are honored to share that our Founder & CEO, Dr. K. Dawn Forbes, has been named the 2026 Medical Honoree for the Loui...
10/07/2026

We are honored to share that our Founder & CEO, Dr. K. Dawn Forbes, has been named the 2026 Medical Honoree for the Louisville March of Dimes Signature Chefs™ event!

March of Dimes recognizes one Medical Honoree each year whose leadership, compassion, and commitment make a real difference for moms and babies. Dr. Forbes has spent more than three decades advancing maternal-child health through clinical care, research, education, and innovation.

At NASCEND, that work comes down to one belief: every opioid-exposed infant deserves the best possible start. We're proud to see it recognized by an organization that shares our mission of healthier futures for moms and babies.

Join us for an evening of exceptional food and community, featuring talented local chefs, all in support of March of Dimes.

đź“… October 15th at 5:30 PM | đź“ŤChurchill Downs
🎟️ Tickets and details: https://signaturechefs.marchofdimes.org/Event_SignatureChefs.aspx?eventId=23287&

Congratulations, Dr. Forbes, and thank you to March of Dimes for this recognition! đź’™

Did you know 60 to 80% of babies exposed to opioids in the womb experience symptoms of withdrawal after birth?It's a num...
09/22/2026

Did you know 60 to 80% of babies exposed to opioids in the womb experience symptoms of withdrawal after birth?

It's a number that surprises a lot of people, and it's exactly why the care happening inside NICUs matters so much. Recognizing withdrawal symptoms, scoring their severity, and knowing how to respond takes real clinical skill. This month, we're recognizing the NICU teams equipped to provide that care every single day.

Myth! Babies can experience physical dependence and withdrawal, known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), but depende...
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.

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...
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.

Did you know skin-to-skin contact, often called kangaroo care, can help reduce NAS symptom severity in newborns?It's not...
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.

Myth! Substance use disorder is considered a chronic, treatable disease, similar to diabetes or hypertension. It isn't "...
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.

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

Mothers in MAT programs want to breastfeed. The research supports it. Major health organizations encourage it. And yet o...
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.

Myth! Only 24% of mothers in MAT programs breastfeed, compared to 64% of the general population despite the benefits. So...
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.

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