Recent trends in treatment admissions for prescription opioid abuse during pregnancy

Abstract

Prescription opioid abuse is a significant and costly public health problem among pregnant women in the United States. We investigated recent trends in substance abuse treatment admissions for prescription opioids during pregnancy using the Treatment Episodes Data Set. From 1992 to 2012 the overall proportion of pregnant admissions remained stable at 4%, however admissions of pregnant women reporting prescription opioid abuse increased substantially from 2% to 28% especially in the South. Demographic characteristics of pregnant opioid admissions changed from 1992 to 2012 with younger, unmarried White non-Hispanic women, criminal justice referrals, and those with a psychiatric co-morbidity becoming more common (p<0.01). About a third received medication assisted therapy despite this being the standard of care for opioid abuse in pregnancy. While substance abuse treatment centers have increased treatment volume to address the increase in prescription opioid dependence among pregnant women, targeting certain risk groups and increasing utilization of medication assisted therapy should be emphasized.

Prescription drug abuse: from epidemiology to public policy

“…For example, few studies have examined prescription drug abuse in reproductive age or pregnant women. Martin and colleagues (2014) found that despite a relatively constant rate of admissions of pregnant women to substance use disorder treatment settings from 1992 to 2012, the prevalence of pregnant woman seeking treatment specifically for prescription opioid abuse has increased 14-fold. Prescription drug abuse may be more prevalent among rural pregnant women (Shannon, Havens, & Hays, 2010).…”

Gender Considerations in Addiction: Implications for Treatment

“…Recent studies on prenatal use of methamphetamines found high rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidity, including low birth weight, preterm delivery, intrauterine fetal death and abruption (72) and longitudinal studies report cognitive problems in children with in-utero exposure to methamphetamines (73). Prescription opioid use among pregnant women has increased substantially over the past two decades (74), with a parallel rise in neonatal opioid exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) (75). …”

Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy

“…From 1992 to 2012, the proportion of pregnant women admitted to substance abuse treatment facilities that reported a history of prescription opioid abuse increased from 2% to 28%. 3 …”