title: Clinical, Ethical, and Legal Considerations in Pregnant Women With Opioid Abuse.
abstract: The rising prevalence of women with opioid addiction in pregnancy necessitates understanding of medical, ethical, and legal considerations on the part of obstetricians. In addition to briefly reviewing the medical care of opioid abuse in pregnancy, we offer a careful consideration of the stigmatization of addiction and resultant medicolegal sequelae. We advocate for improved access to opioid maintenance therapy and social services as a means of improving healthful pregnancy outcomes and decry recent trends in the criminalization of addiction nationwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Mallory E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Kavita Shah
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Arora
mesh_terms: D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016365:Liability, Legal; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D037841:Pregnant People; D018570:Risk Assessment; D057545:Social Stigma; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States