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Perinatal outcomes of A ustralian buprenorphine‐exposed mothers and their newborn infants
Author(s) -
Patel Pankaj,
AbdelLatif Mohamed E,
Hazelton Briony,
Wodak Alex,
Chen Julia,
Emsley Fiona,
Feller John M,
Lui Kei,
Oei Ju Lee
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/jpc.12264
Subject(s) - buprenorphine , medicine , heroin , methadone , abstinence , retrospective cohort study , opiate , opioid , pediatrics , anesthesia , drug , psychiatry , receptor
Aim To determine the short‐term outcomes of Australian buprenorphine‐exposed mother/infant dyads. Methods Retrospective record review of drug‐exposed mothers and infants in A ustralia. Groups were based on drug exposure: buprenorphine (55, 3.8%), non‐buprenorphine opiates ( O , 686, 48.6%) and non‐opiates ( NO , 671, 47.5%). Results More than 30% of buprenorphine mothers continued to use heroin (21, 38%) and benzodiazepines (16, 29%). They were more likely to have child at risk concerns (29, 52.7%, P = 0.019) and have previous children placed in out‐of‐home care (9, 16.3%, P = 049). Buprenorphine babies were less likely to be preterm (16% vs. 25% ( O ), P = 0.001 and 23% ( NO ), P = 0.004) and had higher birthweights (median: 3165 g vs. 2842.5 g ( O ), P < 0.001 and 2900 g ( NO ), P = 0.004). Buprenorphine and non‐buprenorphine opioid babies had similar maximum Finnegan scores (median 10 vs. 11( O ), P = 0.144). The number of babies needing abstinence treatment (45% vs. 51% ( O ), P = 0.411) and length of hospital stay (median days 9 vs. 11( O ), P = 0.067) were similar, but buprenorphine infants required lower maximum morphine doses (mg/kg/day) (median 0.4 mg vs. 0.5 mg ( O ), P = 0.009). Conclusions Short‐term medical outcomes of infants of buprenorphine‐using mothers are similar to those of non‐buprenorphine opiate‐using mothers, but interpretation of these results is confounded by the high rates of polydrug exposure in the buprenorphine group. This and other social concerns noted in buprenorphine mothers and infants warrant further study.