Establishing a prospective cohort to examine the impact of medication for opioid use disorder in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the design and initial findings of a prospective cohort study examining the impact of opioid treatment during pregnancy on maternal and infant outcomes.

STUDY

DESIGN

A multi-site prospective cohort study of 127 pregnancies (including 3 sets of twins), comprising 86 individuals with medication for opioid use disorder exposure and 41 matched controls. Data collection included structured clinical interviews, medical record abstraction, and biospecimen sampling from maternal and neonatal sources.

RESULTS

The cohort is predominantly non-Hispanic White and multiparous. Among opioid-exposed participants, mood disorders, nicotine use, and hepatitis C were common. Over 80% of opioid-exposed infants developed neonatal withdrawal, with nearly half experiencing severe symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

High rates of co-occurring conditions were observed among pregnant individuals receiving medication for opioid use disorder. Most opioid-exposed neonates developed neonatal withdrawal. This cohort provides a rich clinical resource for investigating the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on maternal and infant health.