Opioid Addiction Treatment
                     Opioid Exposure 
 During 
Pregnancy  May 
Result In A  
Small Fetal Brain
Opioids are not prescribed in pregnancy.  
However, so many people are living with opi
oid  use disorder (OUD). Thus, it is no 
surprise that  many pregnant women are 
exposed to opioids.  Opioid Use Disorder 
(OUD) causes many  pregnancy related 
complications like increased  risk of preterm 
birth. However, now a study shows  that opioid 
exposure during pregnancy also  results in a 
smaller fetal brain. Thus, OUD may  have 
long-term implications for children born to  
women living with OUD.
The new study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology found that 
opioid  exposure leads to poor fetal brain development. Thus, women exposed to 
opioids during  pregnancy have fetuses with smaller brains compared to those not 
exposed to opioids.  The study was done at multiple centers in the US. Doctors 
included those women in the  study who had to undergo MRI in their third 
trimester. During the investigation, they  marked the women as either opioid 
exposed or not exposed to opioids.
Smaller brain size is just one thing. However, it is quite  
challenging to measure how due to OUD, each year, hundreds 
of  children are being born that may experience various 
disabilities  later in their life. It shows how OUD may influence 
generations to  come. Children born to parents living with OUD 
may have  numerous mental health issues, 
neurodevelopmental issues, a  higher risk of physical ailments, 
and more. This study has just  explored the tip of the iceberg.
Nonetheless, it is a study in the right direction. It shows that  
statistics regarding drug addiction, related disabilities, and  
mortality do not show a complete picture. It also shows the  
vitality of treating OUD symptoms in young adults. By 
treating  these disorders, we are helping young adults and 
doing a great  service to the coming generation.
It also shows that clinicians should be careful prescribing opioids to  
young adults, especially women of childbearing age. There is also a  
need to increase awareness regarding health threats posed by opioid 
 abuse in young adults, especially those planning to have a child. 
Additionally, this study should form the basis for further studies into  
the topic.
There is also a need to explore health issues in children born to  
parents living with OUD. This will help provide timely help to these  
children.
          THANK YOU