title: Prescription Opioids in Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: A Review of the Literature.
abstract: Prescription opioids are used prenatally for the management of pain, as well as for opiate dependency. Opioids are known to cross the placenta and despite the evidence of possible adverse effects on fetal development, studies have consistently shown prescription opioids are among the most commonly prescribed medications and the prevalence of use is increasing among pregnant women. This article summarizes the available literature documenting potential harms associated with prescription opioid use during pregnancy, including poor fetal growth, preterm birth, birth defects, and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Mahsa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Yazdy
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Rishi J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Susan B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Brogly
keywords: birth defects; birth weight; fetal growth; neonatal abstinence syndrome; opioids; pregnancy