Trends of prenatal opioid utilization and neonatal abstinence syndrome in Manitoba, Canada: A 26-year population-based cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Opioids are prescribed for pain and as opioid agonist therapy for opioid use disorder. This can lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in newborns when used in pregnancy. Few studies have described trends in prenatal opioid prescriptions and NAS by important determinants of health.

Methods

To examine trends in prenatal opioid prescriptions and NAS diagnosis rates we conducted a population-based cohort study of live births in Manitoba, Canada, from January 1995 to March 2021. Live births were considered exposed to opioids prenatally if the pregnant person filled ≥1 opioid prescription during pregnancy. We described trends in NAS diagnosis rates by year, sex, urbanicity, and income quintile.

Results

The cohort included 381,826 live births, of which 26,382

SUBMITTER: Abulannaz O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12663783 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature