Pre-pregnancy surgery is associated with a higher risk of opioid withdrawal in babies

Babies whose mothers have undergone surgery prior to pregnancy are at increased risk of opioid withdrawal symptoms at birth, according to a new study by Dr. Nathalie Auger, a researcher at the Center's Hospital Research Center. University of Montreal (CRCHUM), published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

"The use of opioids for the relief of pain after surgery may increase the risk of opioid dependence in women and weaning in their newborns," said the senior author of the study, Dr. Auger, also a professor at the School of Public Health of the University of Montreal.

"We found that mothers who had undergone surgery before pregnancy were 1.6 times more likely to have neonatal abstinence syndrome, that is, opioid withdrawal symptoms in their children. future newborns, perhaps because the use of opioids continued after the surgery. "

The large study included data on nearly 2.2 million births in Quebec between 1989 and 2016. Of these, 2,346 neonates had neonatal abstinence syndrome, of which 1,052 had mothers undergoing surgery. pre-pregnancy (14.9 per 10,000 babies), compared to 1,294 babies (8.8 per 10). ) born to mothers who have not undergone surgery.

Multiple surgeries, the youngest age at surgery, the longest time between surgery and pregnancy, and cardiovascular, thoracic, urological or neurosurgical diseases were badociated with increased risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome. There was also a strong badociation with general anesthesia, perhaps because this type of anesthesia is used in more complex surgeries, which may require longer use and a higher dose of ## EQU1 ## 39; badgesics.

"Physicians have the potential to prevent neonatal abstinence syndrome through careful management of postoperative pain in young women," said Auger. "Opioids continue to be over-prescribed, despite calls to optimize post-surgical pain control by improving surgical guidelines and using multi-pronged approaches with non-opioid badgesics or local anesthetics."

"Limiting postoperative opioid exposure, reducing over-prescribing and screening for opioid use in pregnant women who have already undergone surgery may help reduce the risk of opioid syndrome." neonatal abstinence, "she added.

Provided by
Hospital Research Center of the Université de Montréal (CRCHUM)