Is Maternal Methadone Dose Associated with the Severity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome?

Publication/Presentation Date

7-1-2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to assess the correlation between maternal methadone dose and severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in infants that required pharmacological treatment for NAS.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of 574 infants ≥35 weeks' gestation exposed to methadone in utero, born between August 2006 and May 2018, and who required pharmacological therapy for NAS. Indicators of NAS severity (duration of morphine treatment, maximum morphine dose, use of phenobarbital, and length of hospitalization) were compared between infants exposed to high (≥200 mg), intermediate (100-199 mg), and low doses (< 100 mg) of methadone. Logistic and linear regression models were used to adjust for the covariates.

RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) duration of medical treatment with morphine was higher in infants exposed to higher doses of methadone (low dose 23 [14-37] days, intermediate dose 31 [18-45] days, and high dose 35 [20-48] days,

CONCLUSION: Infants exposed to higher methadone doses displayed more severe NAS, as indicated by longer durations of treatment, higher maximum morphine dose, longer duration of hospitalization, and increased likelihood of phenobarbital use.

KEY POINTS: · Methadone maintenance therapy is used during pregnancy to control maternal withdrawal symptoms.. · Relationship between maternal methadone dose and severity of NAS is not adequately investigated.. · Increased doses of methadone during pregnancy correlate with increased severity of NAS..

Volume

39

Issue

10

First Page

1138

Last Page

1144

ISSN

1098-8785

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

33321531

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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