Source: Freepik.com
In the 2016-2018 North Carolina (NC) Medicaid population, the majority of mothers of infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) had a claim for medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD; the evidence-based, standard of care for treatment of an opioid use disorder in pregnancy) or another prescription opioid during pregnancy, according to a new article published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Authors of this study include UNC IPRC Core Faculty members: Anna E. Austin, PhD; Michael Dolan Fliss, PhD, and; Rebecca B. Naumann, PhD. Vito Di Bona, MS; Mary E. Cox, MPH; and Scott Proescholdbell, MPH from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health also co-authored this study.
Using linked NC birth certificate and NC Medicaid newborn and maternal claims data, the researchers found that from 2016-2018, among mothers of infants diagnosed with NOWS, nearly 60% had a claim for MOUD or other prescription opioids in pregnancy, with almost half having a claim for MOUD and 1 in 5 having a claim for other prescription opioids.
Importantly, younger women and Black non-Hispanic women were under-represented among those with MOUD claims in pregnancy. The percentage of infants born full term and normal birth weight was highest among women with MOUD claims in pregnancy, and more than two-thirds of women with MOUD or with both MOUD also reported tobacco use in pregnancy.
NOWS is an expected and treatable condition following prenatal exposure to opioids, including MOUD for the treatment of an opioid use disorder and prescription opioids as directed by a healthcare provider. Results from this study highlight the extent to which cases of NOWS may be related to medically appropriate opioid use in pregnancy. Given the racial inequities in receipt of MOUD in pregnancy, future research and practice should focus on providing an equitable access to MOUD. In addition, efforts to promote the uptake of interventions that are effective in treating the NOWS, such as the Eat, Sleep, Console method, and in reducing the severity of NOWS symptoms, including tobacco cessation, should be prioritized.
Read the full article here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34383554/#affiliation-1