Association between medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes

Richard W Hall; Denise C Babineau; Ananta S Bangdiwala; Evan Rhodes; Tara Venable; Clare Campbell Asher; Namasivayam Ambalavanan; Jonathan M Davis; Susan Adeniyi-Jones; Lawrence Leeman; Abhik Das; Margaret Crawford; Lillian Trochinski; Stephanie Merhar; Gregory M Sokol; Scott A Lorch; Lori A Devlin

doi:10.1038/s41372-025-02442-7

Association between medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes

Richard W Hall
, Denise C Babineau
, Ananta S Bangdiwala
, Evan Rhodes
, Tara Venable
, Clare Campbell Asher
, Namasivayam Ambalavanan
, Jonathan M Davis
, Susan Adeniyi-Jones
, Lawrence Leeman
, Abhik Das
, Margaret Crawford
, Lillian Trochinski
, Stephanie Merhar
, Gregory M Sokol
, Scott A Lorch
, Lori A Devlin

Department of Pediatrics, Delaware Valley

University of Arkansas
Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Nemours Children's Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
University of New Mexico
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Indiana University School of Medicine
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
University of Louisville School of Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate associations between antenatal exposure to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including MOUD type, and neonatal outcomes for infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Study design: Data from 768 neonates with NOWS born between 36-0/7 to 41-6/7 weeks gestation were retrospectively collected from 13 United States hospitals. Results: Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to non-MOUD opioids, neonates with antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids had a 51% lower odds of delivery before 39 weeks and 2.72-fold greater odds of breastfeeding. Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to prescribed methadone, neonates exposed to prescribed buprenorphine or buprenorphine/naloxone had increased mean head circumference z-scores (0.31 and 0.48 units respectively), decreased odds of pharmacologic treatment (49% and 58%, respectively), and a reduced mean length of hospital stay (35% and 39%, respectively). Conclusion: Antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids, specifically prescribed buprenorphine, was associated with significantly improved neonatal outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Perinatology
Early online date	9 Oct 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-025-02442-7
State	E-pub ahead of print - 9 Oct 2025

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Hall, R. W., Babineau, D. C., Bangdiwala, A. S., Rhodes, E., Venable, T., Asher, C. C., Ambalavanan, N., Davis, J. M., Adeniyi-Jones, S., Leeman, L., Das, A., Crawford, M., Trochinski, L., Merhar, S., Sokol, G. M., Lorch, S. A., & Devlin, L. A. (2025). Association between medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Journal of Perinatology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-025-02442-7

@article{57f28bc18ca244eca318005a0416db35,

title = "Association between medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes",

abstract = "Objective: Evaluate associations between antenatal exposure to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including MOUD type, and neonatal outcomes for infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Study design: Data from 768 neonates with NOWS born between 36-0/7 to 41-6/7 weeks gestation were retrospectively collected from 13 United States hospitals. Results: Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to non-MOUD opioids, neonates with antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids had a 51\% lower odds of delivery before 39 weeks and 2.72-fold greater odds of breastfeeding. Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to prescribed methadone, neonates exposed to prescribed buprenorphine or buprenorphine/naloxone had increased mean head circumference z-scores (0.31 and 0.48 units respectively), decreased odds of pharmacologic treatment (49\% and 58\%, respectively), and a reduced mean length of hospital stay (35\% and 39\%, respectively). Conclusion: Antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids, specifically prescribed buprenorphine, was associated with significantly improved neonatal outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov",

author = "Hall, \{Richard W\} and Babineau, \{Denise C\} and Bangdiwala, \{Ananta S\} and Evan Rhodes and Tara Venable and Asher, \{Clare Campbell\} and Namasivayam Ambalavanan and Davis, \{Jonathan M\} and Susan Adeniyi-Jones and Lawrence Leeman and Abhik Das and Margaret Crawford and Lillian Trochinski and Stephanie Merhar and Sokol, \{Gregory M\} and Lorch, \{Scott A\} and Devlin, \{Lori A\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc. 2025.",

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doi = "10.1038/s41372-025-02442-7",

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journal = "Journal of Perinatology",

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Hall, RW, Babineau, DC, Bangdiwala, AS, Rhodes, E, Venable, T, Asher, CC, Ambalavanan, N, Davis, JM, Adeniyi-Jones, S, Leeman, L, Das, A, Crawford, M, Trochinski, L, Merhar, S, Sokol, GM, Lorch, SA & Devlin, LA 2025, 'Association between medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes', Journal of Perinatology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-025-02442-7

TY - JOUR

T1 - Association between medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes

AU - Hall, Richard W

AU - Babineau, Denise C

AU - Bangdiwala, Ananta S

AU - Rhodes, Evan

AU - Venable, Tara

AU - Asher, Clare Campbell

AU - Ambalavanan, Namasivayam

AU - Davis, Jonathan M

AU - Adeniyi-Jones, Susan

AU - Leeman, Lawrence

AU - Das, Abhik

AU - Crawford, Margaret

AU - Trochinski, Lillian

AU - Merhar, Stephanie

AU - Sokol, Gregory M

AU - Lorch, Scott A

AU - Devlin, Lori A

PY - 2025/10/9

Y1 - 2025/10/9

N2 - Objective: Evaluate associations between antenatal exposure to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including MOUD type, and neonatal outcomes for infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Study design: Data from 768 neonates with NOWS born between 36-0/7 to 41-6/7 weeks gestation were retrospectively collected from 13 United States hospitals. Results: Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to non-MOUD opioids, neonates with antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids had a 51% lower odds of delivery before 39 weeks and 2.72-fold greater odds of breastfeeding. Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to prescribed methadone, neonates exposed to prescribed buprenorphine or buprenorphine/naloxone had increased mean head circumference z-scores (0.31 and 0.48 units respectively), decreased odds of pharmacologic treatment (49% and 58%, respectively), and a reduced mean length of hospital stay (35% and 39%, respectively). Conclusion: Antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids, specifically prescribed buprenorphine, was associated with significantly improved neonatal outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov

AB - Objective: Evaluate associations between antenatal exposure to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including MOUD type, and neonatal outcomes for infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Study design: Data from 768 neonates with NOWS born between 36-0/7 to 41-6/7 weeks gestation were retrospectively collected from 13 United States hospitals. Results: Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to non-MOUD opioids, neonates with antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids had a 51% lower odds of delivery before 39 weeks and 2.72-fold greater odds of breastfeeding. Compared to neonates with antenatal exposure to prescribed methadone, neonates exposed to prescribed buprenorphine or buprenorphine/naloxone had increased mean head circumference z-scores (0.31 and 0.48 units respectively), decreased odds of pharmacologic treatment (49% and 58%, respectively), and a reduced mean length of hospital stay (35% and 39%, respectively). Conclusion: Antenatal exposure to MOUD opioids, specifically prescribed buprenorphine, was associated with significantly improved neonatal outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018592333

U2 - 10.1038/s41372-025-02442-7

DO - 10.1038/s41372-025-02442-7

M3 - Article

C2 - 41068332

SN - 0743-8346

JO - Journal of Perinatology

JF - Journal of Perinatology

ER -

Association between medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes

Abstract

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