Babies exposed to narcotic pain relievers more likely to experience withdrawal
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal syndrome in infants following birth, has historically been associated with illicit drug use among pregnant women.
But a study by a team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center shows that pregnant women are commonly being prescribed opioids - narcotic pain relievers such as hydrocodone - which results in an increased likelihood of NAS. In addition, the study found that opioid type and duration of exposure combined with tobacco use or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use (for treating depression and anxiety) augmented risks for NAS.
The study, “Prescription Opioid Epidemic and Infant Outcomes,” looked at three years of data from TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, and assessed records for 112,029 pregnant mothers. An estimated 28 percent of the women, or 31,354, were prescribed and filled at least one opioid pain reliever. Of the babies with NAS, 65 percent had mothers that legally filled prescriptions for opioid pain relievers. Results were published today/April 13 in the journal Pediatrics.
“We found that babies exposed to opioids pain relievers were more likely to be born preterm, have complicated births, low birth weight and have complications such as meconium aspiration syndrome (a sign of infant distress at birth) and respiratory distress,” said lead author Stephen Patrick, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy in the Division of Neonatology with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal syndrome in infants following birth, has historically been associated with illicit drug use among pregnant women.
But a study by a team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center shows that pregnant women are commonly being prescribed opioids - narcotic pain relievers such as hydrocodone - which results in an increased likelihood of NAS. In addition, the study found that opioid type and duration of exposure combined with tobacco use or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use (for treating depression and anxiety) augmented risks for NAS.
A newborn infant born to a mother dependent on opioids or other substances is at risk for drug withdrawal commonly referred to as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS is a variable, complex, and incompletely understood spectrum of signs of neonatal behavioral dysregulation. It is not defined by the need for pharmacotherapy. Although most commonly associated with opioid exposure, other substances have been associated with NAS, including sedative-hypnotics.
Most common opioids in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) - In the United States, heroin and methadone are the most common opioids to which infants are exposed prenatally. However, in the United States, the incidence of in utero exposures to licit opioids (eg, hydrocodone) and buprenorphine is increasing.
Pregnant women dependent on opioids are maintained on methadone as the current standard of care, which provides multiple benefits including improved prenatal care, reduced fetal mortality, and improved fetal growth. In addition, buprenorphine has become an acceptable alternate opioid during pregnancy with potential benefit for reduced severity of NAS. The management of pregnant women dependent on opioids is discussed separately.
The study, “Prescription Opioid Epidemic and Infant Outcomes,” looked at three years of data from TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, and assessed records for 112,029 pregnant mothers. An estimated 28 percent of the women, or 31,354, were prescribed and filled at least one opioid pain reliever. Of the babies with NAS, 65 percent had mothers that legally filled prescriptions for opioid pain relievers. Results were published today/April 13 in the journal Pediatrics.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Stats
There is a great deal of compelling information to be found on the subject of neonatal abstinence syndrome statistics. Again, you’ll want to begin with a basic understanding of the condition, which is not difficult to obtain and comprehend.
From there, you will be in a much better position to absorb all of the facts and figures that surround NAS stats:
1. Simply put, neonatal abstinence syndrome is an assortment problems that occur in a newborn. These problems occur because the newborn was exposed to opiate drugs while it was in the womb of its mother.
2. Some of the opiate drugs that can cause NAS include heroin, codeine, methadone, oxycodone, and buprenorphine.
3. When these drugs are absorbed by the mother, they are passed on through the placenta to the unborn child. Through this process, the child becomes as addicted as the mother is.
4. Addiction for the baby continues after they are born. Unfortunately, because the child is no longer getting the drugs they were getting before, they begin to go through withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms can be realized in a variety of ways.
5. Opiates and narcotics are not the only things that can lead to addiction and withdrawal for an infant. Alcohol, nicotine, barbiturates, amphetamines, coke, and marijuana can all potentially create a variety of health problems for an infant after they are born. However, research is still being done on this matter. Also, it is important to note that none of those drugs are connected to neonatal abstinence syndrome.
These are some of the basics of neonatal abstinence syndrome. As you have probably figured out at this point, the condition is an extreme serious one. However, it is also important to note that the severity of the condition can vary from one infant to the next. A number of factors influence this fact.
“We found that babies exposed to opioids pain relievers were more likely to be born preterm, have complicated births, low birth weight and have complications such as meconium aspiration syndrome (a sign of infant distress at birth) and respiratory distress,” said lead author Stephen Patrick, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy in the Division of Neonatology with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
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Craig Boerner
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615-322-4747
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Journal
Pediatrics