title: Neonatal outcomes following in utero exposure to buprenorphine/naloxone or methadone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study neonatal outcomes following buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone exposure during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a retrospective review of clinical and demographic information of 58 infants whose mothers were treated with buprenorphine/naloxone and 92 infants whose mothers were treated with methadone for opioid dependence during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gestational age, birth weight, prematurity, admission to neonatal intensive care unit, and length of stay were similar between both groups of infants. Neonatal abstinence syndrome occurred less frequently among infants of mothers treated with buprenorphine/naloxone than those treated with methadone (64% and 80%, respectively, p = 0.03). All infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome were treated postnatally with methadone. There was a trend toward shorter duration of treatment and lower cumulative dosages of methadone among the buprenorphine/naloxone-exposed infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No apparent significant adverse neonatal outcomes were detected following treatment with either maintenance medication; however, further prospective research is necessary to examine the safety and efficacy of buprenorphine/naloxone in pregnancy and its effects on the neonate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gawronski
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Mona R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Carl R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Backes
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: K Joy
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Debra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cordero
keywords: Buprenorphine/naloxone; methadone; neonatal abstinence syndrome; pregnancy