Should women who are pregnant and addicted to opiates undergo medication-assisted treatment for their addiction?
Pregnant women who use opiates are at increased risk of developing complications of pregnancy. A “cold-turkey” withdrawal from opiates carries particular risks, including miscarriage. Medication-assisted treatment helps stabilize drug use and lifestyle, reduces or eliminates illicit use of opiates and can help stabilize the in utero environment, facilitates access to comprehensive prenatal and antenatal care, and does not increase the risk of congenital abnormalities in the fetus. Pregnant women involved in methadone maintenance programs have been reported to have significantly improved prenatal care leading to significantly reduced incidence of obstetric and fetal complications and neonatal morbidity and mortality, compared to women who use illicit drugs.
Related Questions
- Is methadone maintenance the only type of medication-assisted treatment you offer for people addicted to opiates like heroin, Oxycotin or Demerol?
- Should women who are pregnant and addicted to opiates undergo medication-assisted treatment for their addiction?
- Is either buprenorphine or methadone preferable for treatment of pregnant women who are addicted to opiates?
