A New Threat to Pregnancy: Xylazine
Xylazine, a veterinary sedative, has become an increasingly common adulterant in the illicit opioid supply, posing unique risks to pregnant individuals and their developing fetuses.
Disparities in Maternal-Infant Drug Testing
More infants who were exposed to strong agonists and opioids with long half-lives, including methadone, developed neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
Buprenorphine or Methadone: Which One is Better for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy?
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.
Toward a Better Understanding of Opioid Use During Pregnancy
Opioid use during pregnancy co-occurs with other variables that are associated with worse outcomes in children, specifically maternal depression and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
Risk of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome More Common with Certain Opioids: Implications for Women with Opioid Use Disorder
More infants who were exposed to strong agonists and opioids with long half-lives, including methadone, developed neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
What Factors Promote Recovery in Postpartum Women with Opioid Use Disorder?
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.
Prescription Opioids During Pregnancy and Risk for Major Malformations
Previous studies have suggested a link between opioid exposure during pregnancy and increased risk of certain major malformations, including neural tube defects. A recent study from Bateman and colleagues assesses the risk of major malformation [...]
Substance Use in Pregnant Women Probably Underestimated in Current Reports
At the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (presented virtually this year), Dr. Kimberly Yonkers from the Center for Wellbeing of Women and Mothers at Yale University presented on the prevalence of substance [...]
Massachusetts Maternal Mortality Rates Rising: Opioid Abuse and Psychiatric Illness Play a Role
Pregnancy-associated mortality, defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within one year of the termination of pregnancy, is increasing in Massachusetts. Â In 2012, there were 30.4 deaths/100,000 live births. In 2014, the [...]
Prescribing Psychotropic Medications with Opioids During Pregnancy May Increase Risk for Neonatal Withdrawal
 Illicit opioid use has steadily increased over the past decade, and this increase is most prominent in the 18–25 age group, which includes women of reproductive age (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, [...]