Research
Study links opioid prescriptions during pregnancy to childhood hospital admissions
Children with prenatal opioid exposure had a 28% higher hospital admission rate, though the association was smaller in comparisons between siblings.
A nationwide South Korean cohort study found that children whose mothers received opioid prescriptions during pregnancy had higher rates of hospital admission than children without prenatal exposure. The study included 2,928,186 children born between 2010 and 2017, followed for up to 14 years. Prenatal exposure was defined as two or more maternal opioid prescriptions within a trimester.
The researchers reported a 28% higher admission rate in the propensity score matched comparison, with an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.28 [95% CI 1.28, 1.29]. In comparisons between siblings, the association was smaller but remained statistically significant, with an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.08 [95% CI 1.07, 1.10]. The association increased with maternal dose and duration of prescriptions and diminished with age, but remained evident up to five years. The authors said prescription records may not reflect actual medication use and shared family factors may partly explain the findings. They said the results may inform postnatal monitoring.
