In this large cohort study analyzing data from publicly insured Medicaid beneficiaries, the overall risk of malformations was lower with buprenorphine than with methadone.
Treatment with buprenorphine versus methadone during pregnancy is associated with lower risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, small size for gestational age, and NAS.
More infants who were exposed to strong agonists and opioids with long half-lives, including methadone, developed neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
Parenting support, maternal bonding with the infant, engagement in an OUD treatment program, and recovery-specific support systems promoted recovery in postpartum women with opioid use disorders.
This study demonstrates higher rates of treatment continuation in postpartum women with opioid use disorders if medication treatment (methadone or buprenorphine) is initiated early and maintained throughout pregnancy.
The use of opioid drugs in women of childbearing age has become a pressing public health concern. Â It is clear that opiate use during pregnancy puts the mother and child at risk; opiate use during [...]
We have been writing over the last few years about the growing problem of opioid use and abuse in women of reproductive age. Â Responding to a dramatic increase in the number of women abusing opiates [...]
Up until 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that methadone was compatible with breastfeeding in women taking less than 20 mg per day. Because most women on methadone maintenance therapy typically require 50 to 15o mg of methadone per day during pregnancy, this meant that most women on methadone were not able to breastfeed. However, the dose restriction for methadone was eliminated in 2001, a decision driven by several studies indicating that the levels of methadone secreted into human breast milk were relatively low.
