Opioid use during pregnancy: An international roadmap for future research and clinical practice

OBJECTIVES:: Exposure to opioid agonists during pregnancy has been a continuing concern in obstetrics and gynecology. The present paper provides a brief history of the use of opioids in the treatment of pain and opioid dependence in pregnant women. The issues that constrain research in determining the relationship between opioid use and short-term and long-term outcomes for the children of opioid-dependent mothers are then described. CONCLUSIONS:: The article closes with a vision for future research and clinical practice regarding opioid agonist pharmacotherapy in the treatment of opioid dependence and pain during pregnancy. It advocates a strong international partnership between researchers and clinicians that will make available to both providers and patients worldwide the necessary information to balance the relative risks and benefits to the mother and fetus when deciding if or which opioid medications to use.