Every Mother, Every Baby Deserves a Great Start
Some 29,000 infants have been born dependent on prescription opioids and other narcotics.1 That number is rising, as women are more likely than men to be prescribed opioid pain medicines, to use them long-term, and to receive prescriptions for higher doses.2 The rate of prescription opioid use during pregnancy increased 127% between 1998 and 2011.3
Women and their newborns are often hurt more than helped by prescription opioids: 4, 5
- Since 2004, the number of children treated for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) increased fourfold.6
- Prescription opioid exposure during development raises risks of stillbirth, and for babies born preterm, underweight, and in withdrawal.
- Prescription opioids during pregnancy increase the risks of maternal death, cardiac arrest, transfusion, and cesarean delivery.