Opioid Use in Pregnancy, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, and Childhood Outcomes: Executive Summary of a Joint Workshop by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatrics, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the March of Dimes Foundation

Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Jul;130(1):10-28. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000002054.

Abstract

In April 2016, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development invited experts to a workshop to address numerous knowledge gaps and to review the evidence for the screening and management of opioid use in pregnancy and neonatal abstinence syndrome. The rising prevalence of opioid use in pregnancy has led to a concomitant dramatic fivefold increase in neonatal abstinence syndrome over the past decade. Experts from diverse disciplines addressed research gaps in the following areas: 1) optimal screening for opioid use in pregnancy; 2) complications of pregnancy associated with opioid use; 3) appropriate treatments for pregnant women with opioid use disorders; 4) the best approaches for detecting, treating, and managing newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome; and 5) the long-term effects of prenatal opioid exposure on children. Workshop participants identified key scientific opportunities to advance the understanding of opioid use disorders in pregnancy and to improve outcomes for affected women, their children, and their families. This article provides a summary of the workshop presentations and discussions.

Publication types

  • Consensus Development Conference
  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child of Impaired Parents
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / prevention & control*
  • Obstetrics
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / prevention & control*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / prevention & control*
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • United States