Maternal Prescription Opioid Use linked to Spontaneous Preterm Birth: JAMA

A recent study highlighted the potential risks that are associated with prescription opioid use during pregnancy. The findings of this study were published in the Journal of American Medical Association.

This research examined data from pregnant individuals enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid which spanned over a decade, from 2007 to 2019 and involved over 250,000 patients. Olivia Bosworth and colleagues investigated the association between prescription opioid use during pregnancy and the occurrence of spontaneous preterm birth, which is a significant concern for maternal and child health. 

The findings found that among the group studied, over 7% of patients had filled an opioid prescription in the 60 days preceding childbirth. Also, for each doubling of opioid dosage, there was a 4% increase in the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. This explores a dose-dependent relationship between opioid exposure and the risk of preterm delivery.

The study emphasized the importance of these findings in guiding clinical practice. These results support existing recommendations to minimize opioid exposure during pregnancy and to prescribe the lowest effective dose only when necessary. While opioids can be important to manage pain in certain medical conditions, their potential impact on pregnancy outcomes warrants close consideration.

The rigorous methodology of this study utilized a large retrospective cohort that adds strength to its conclusions. Further research may be required to explore the underlying mechanisms that drive this association and to develop targeted interventions for populations at-risk. Overall, the outcomes serve as a crucial addition to the body of evidence linking prescription opioid use during pregnancy to adverse birth outcomes. 

Reference:

Bosworth, O. M., Padilla-Azain, M. C., Adgent, M. A., Spieker, A. J., Wiese, A. D., Pham, A., Leech, A. A., Grijalva, C. G., & Osmundson, S. S. (2024). Prescription Opioid Exposure During Pregnancy and Risk of Spontaneous Preterm Delivery. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 7, Issue 2, p. e2355990). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55990