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VIDEO: Managing the effects of opioid use for the whole family
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NEW ORLEANS — At the AAP National Conference & Exhibition, Stephen W. Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, associate professor of pediatrics and health policy at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, spoke about the providers’ role treating both neonatal opioid withdrawal and the effects on opioids on the entire family.
In his presentation, he also focused on the individual and community-level factors that impact opioid use, including adverse childhood experiences and long-term unemployment.
However, many pregnant women with opioid use disorder do not have access to medication to treat their addiction. One of the barriers to care, Patrick speculated, is provider discomfort in caring for pregnant women with opioid use disorder.
“Getting accesses to medications for opioid use disorder like methadone or buprenorphine improve outcomes for mom, decrease her risk for overdose death and relapse,” he told Infectious Diseases in Children. “For infants, they’re more likely to go to term. But most women are not getting this.”
Reference:
Patrick SW. Newborns exposed to substances: Understanding their needs and supporting their caregivers. Presented at: AAP National Conference & Exhibition; Oct. 25-29, 2019; New Orleans.
Disclosure: Patrick reports no relevant financial disclosures.