Opioid exposure in pregnancy is linked to a smaller fetal brain. A study used MRI scans. It found that fetuses exposed to opioids had smaller brains than fetuses that were not. This adds to known risks of opioid use disorder in pregnancy, such as preterm birth. The effects may follow these children long after birth.
Summary: Opioids are not prescribed in pregnancy. Yet many people live with opioid use disorder (OUD). So it is no surprise that many pregnant women are exposed to opioids. Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) causes many pregnancy problems, like a higher risk of preterm birth. Now a study shows that opioid exposure in pregnancy also leads to a smaller fetal brain. So OUD may have long-term effects on children born to women with OUD.
Doctors are unlikely to recommend opioids during pregnancy. Yet about 2.7 million people are living with opioid use disorder symptoms (OUD) in the US alone. Most are addicted to prescription opioids, and some to street drugs. So many fetuses are exposed to opioids early in life.
Fetuses, or unborn babies, are not like adults. They grow fast, and their body parts are still forming. So the side effects in pregnancy are different too. Opioids do not just harm the mother’s health. They may also do real harm to the growing baby.
Many studies look at the harm of OUD during pregnancy. They show it leads to preterm birth, stillbirth, more deaths of mothers, and more. But very few studies look at how opioid exposure in pregnancy affects the growing brain of the baby.
The new study appeared in the American Journal of Roentgenology. It found that opioid exposure leads to poor brain growth in the fetus. Women exposed to opioids in pregnancy had fetuses with smaller brains than women not exposed to opioids.
The study took place at several centers in the US. Doctors included women who needed an MRI in their third trimester. They marked each woman as either exposed to opioids or not.
In all, 28 fetal scans came from opioid-exposed women and 37 from women who were not exposed. The team corrected for fetal age and other factors. Fetuses exposed to opioids had significantly smaller brains than those not exposed. They also found more amniotic fluid (29% vs. 8%). The risk of breech position was much higher too.
This study shows how big a health threat OUD is. It is not just a cause of overdose deaths or a few pregnancy problems. Its harms may be even worse, and many are hard to measure.
Smaller brain size is just one part. The full harm is hard to measure. Because of OUD, hundreds of children are born each year who may face disabilities later in life.
It shows how OUD may affect the generations to come. Children of parents with OUD may have many mental health problems and problems with brain growth. They may also have a higher risk of physical illness, and more.
This study has only found the tip of the iceberg. Still, it points in the right direction. It shows that numbers on drug addiction, the disabilities it causes, and deaths do not tell the whole story.
It also shows why treating OUD symptoms in young adults matters. When we treat these disorders, we help young adults. We also do a great service to the next generation.
It also shows that doctors should be careful when prescribing opioids to young adults. This is most true for women who may become pregnant. People also need to know more about the health threats of opioid misuse in young adults. This matters most for those planning to have a child.
This study should also lead to more research on the topic. Health problems in children born to parents with OUD need study too. That will help these children get help in time.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a pregnant woman takes opioids?
Opioid use disorder in pregnancy raises the risk of preterm birth, stillbirth and death of the mother. A multicenter study in the American Journal of Roentgenology adds another harm. Third-trimester MRI scans showed that fetuses exposed to opioids had significantly smaller brains. Those pregnancies also had more cases of excess amniotic fluid, 29% versus 8%. They had a much higher risk of breech position too.
Do opioids affect fetal development?
Yes. A fetus grows fast, and its body parts are still forming. So opioids harm it differently than they harm an adult. In the MRI study, 28 opioid-exposed fetal scans were compared with 37 unexposed scans. After correcting for fetal age and other factors, the exposed fetuses had significantly smaller brains. Smaller brain size is only the part that can be measured.
Can a mother’s opioid use affect her child later in life?
It can. Children born to parents with opioid use disorder may face mental health problems and problems with brain growth. They may also have a higher risk of physical illness. Hundreds of children are born each year who may develop disabilities later because of OUD. That is why treating opioid use disorder in young adults, before a pregnancy, protects the next generation as well as the parent.
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