Antenatal Opioid Use: Caution Is Warranted

Opioid use in the general population continues to grow; thus, investigators analyzed Medicaid dispensing data for 1.1 million pregnant women in 46 states who delivered in 2000 through 2007.

During the study period, prevalence of antenatal opioid use (mainly codeine and hydrocodone; most commonly for abdominal or lower back pain) among pregnant Medicaid enrollees rose from 18% to 23%. Although the median cumulative duration of opioid availability during pregnancy was 5 days, 2.5% of pregnant women met criteria for potential chronic exposure (>30 days of availability). Prescription opioid use varied considerably by race (29% of whites, 19% of blacks, and 13% of Latinas) and state (range, 9%–42%).