Epigenome-wide association study of placental co-methylated regions in newborns for prenatal opioid exposure.

ABSTRACT: The increasing incidence of opioid use during pregnancy has led to a rise in the number of infants exposed to opioids in utero. Prenatal opioid exposure may have consequences for health and (neuro)development, including neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). It is unknown which infants are at greatest risk for NOWS. DNA methylation (DNAm) is an epigenetic mark reflecting both allelic variation and environmental exposures, which may provide biomarkers for prenatal opioid exposure and infant NOWS. The placenta is an accessible, biologically relevant tissue in which to directly investigate the epigenetic effects of prenatal opioid exposure. Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine whether prenatal opioid exposure is associated with differential DNAm, including epigenetic age acc

SUBMITTER: Meijer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12422002 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature