Only 47% of mothers with a diagnosed opioid use disorder were prescribed medications such as methadone or buprenorphine, despite clinical guidelines recommending them, according to a University of Michigan study.
Researchers assessed delivery-related outcomes and healthcare use among Michigan Medicaid enrollees ages 15 to 44 who delivered a live infant. The study cohort included 219,890 deliveries among 170,002 Medicaid enrollees, with 3.3% having an opioid use disorder diagnosis during the analytical period between 2012 and 2021.
Here are four things to know:
- Researchers found a higher rate of premature delivery among this population, which is associated with long-term infant health complications and evaluated healthcare costs.
- Mothers with opioid use disorder used more outpatient, emergency, psychotherapy and substance use disorder treatment services than those without.
- While raw C-section rates were higher among mothers with opioid use disorder (38% versus 31%), their adjusted risk was lower after accounting for comorbidities and prenatal care factors.
- Contrary to national trends, the majority of opioid use disorder diagnoses in the study were among white women living in urban areas, possibly reflecting disparities in detection and access.
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