Babies born to individuals with opioid use disorder at increased mortality risk: JAMA

Written By : Dr. Mahalakshmi Sivashankaran |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2023-05-19T20:00:28+05:30 | Updated On 19 May 2023 8:00 PM IST

USA: A new study published in JAMA: Pediatrics has found that infants born to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) or with a diagnosis of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) are at an increased risk of post-neonatal infant mortality.

The risk of significant long-term outcomes for infants born to opioid use disorder (OUD) parents is not entirely established, the study aimed to assess the risk of post-neonatal infant mortality in infants with NOWS or born to individuals with OUD.

The study, a retrospective cohort study of 390,075 infants born from 2007 to 2018 to mothers enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid, found that all groups exposed to OUD or NOWS had an elevated risk of postneonatal death compared to the unexposed group.

The study identified four groups based on maternal and infant exposure to OUD and NOWS: OUD positive/NOWS positive, OUD positive/NOWS negative, OUD negative/NOWS positive, and OUD negative/NOWS negative.

The study concluded with the following key takeaways:

1. 1317 post-neonatal infant deaths were observed during the study period.

2. The incidence rates of post-neonatal infant deaths were as follows:

3. OUD negative/NOWS negative: 3.47 per 1000 person-years.

4. OUD positive/NOWS positive: 8.41 per 1000 person-years.

5. OUD positive/NOWS negative: 8.95 per 1000 person-years.

6. OUD negative/NOWS positive: 9.25 per 1000 person-years.

7. After adjustment, the risk of post-neonatal death was elevated for all groups compared to the unexposed group.

The findings highlight the need for supportive interventions for individuals with OUD during and after pregnancy to reduce adverse outcomes. Opioid use disorder during pregnancy can lead to various complications, including neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and increased risk of infant mortality.

“The study underscores the importance of addressing the opioid epidemic and its impact on maternal and child health. Future research can further evaluate interventions to reduce the risks for infants born to individuals with opioid use disorder and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.” added the researchers of the study.

Reference:

Grossarth S, Osmundson SS, Wiese AD, et al. Maternal Opioid Use Disorder and the Risk of Postneonatal Infant Mortality. JAMA Pediatr. Published online May 08, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.1047

Postneonatal infant mortalityopioid use disorderJAMA: Pediatricsneonatal opioid withdrawal syndromeNOWSopioid drug abuseopioidsMaternal opioid disorder

Article Source : JAMA: Pediatrics

Dr. Mahalakshmi Sivashankaran

Dr. Mahalakshmi Sivashankaran joined Medical Dialogues as an Intern in 2023. She is a BDS graduate from Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore Batch 2022, and worked as a Junior Resident at VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital at the Department of Dental Surgery till January 2023. She has completed a Diploma in Executive Healthcare management from the Loyola Institute of Business Administration, developing skills in Healthcare Management and Administration. She covers several medical specialties including Dental, ENT, Diagnostics, Pharmacology, Neurology, and Cardiology.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751