Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Elizabeth E. Krans
Summary: The opioid crisis in the United States has had significant impacts on pregnant individuals and their children. The rate of opioid-related diagnoses during pregnancy has been consistently rising across all states and demographic groups, and overdose has become a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. Treatment with medications like methadone and buprenorphine is recommended to reduce the risks of overdose and preterm birth for pregnant individuals with opioid use disorder.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Katharina Feld, Patrick Dahm, Tobias Kieliba, Axel Klee, Markus A. Rothschild, Hilke Andresen-Streichert, Justus Beike
Summary: This study examined the possibility of methadone and its metabolite EDDP being transferred to children's hair through contact with sweat from individuals undergoing opiate maintenance therapy. The results showed that this transfer is possible, with a clear tendency towards higher concentrations in hair strands with longer contact time. The correlation between serum concentration, sweat concentration, and substance concentration in hair strands could not be demonstrated.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nichole Nidey, Katherine Bowers, Lili Ding, Hong Ji, Robert T. Ammerman, Kimberly Yolton, E. Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, Alonzo T. Folger
Summary: This study investigated the effects of in-utero exposure to maternal smoking on DNA methylation of AVPR1a gene in infants. The findings suggest that infants with in-utero exposure to maternal smoking have reduced DNA methylation at AVPR1a CpG sites.
Article
Pediatrics
Pierre Desaunay, Charles Dolladille, Basile Chretien, Lea-Gabrielle Eude, Sophie Fedrizzi, Ceneric Alexandre, Gisele Apter, Joachim Alexandre, Fabian Guenole
Summary: This study found significant associations between neonatal hypotonia and fetal exposure to clomipramine, venlafaxine, and imipramine. Reports from the French database suggested prolonged fetal exposure as a contributing factor. In utero exposure to antidepressants may be associated with neonatal hypotonia.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Zeynab Hemmati, Aldo Alberto Conti, Alex Baldacchino
Summary: Opioid use disorder is a global issue, and its effects on women of childbearing age and pregnant women are of increasing concern. This systematic review and meta-analysis found no causal relationship between in utero opioid exposure and future eye abnormalities, but highlighted the need for further research in this area.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Eric M. Chin, Yuma Kitase, Nethra K. Madurai, Shenandoah Robinson, Lauren L. Jantzie
Summary: The opioid epidemic poses a significant public health crisis, with children born following prenatal opioid exposure (POE) at increased risk for long-term cognitive and behavioral issues. This study utilized MRI to examine the effects of POE on brain connectivity and white matter injury in adult rats. The results showed reduced white matter integrity and decreased functional brain connectivity in animals with POE. These findings contribute to our understanding of the impact of POE on brain development and suggest that functional connectivity may serve as a biomarker for children with POE.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kathrine Bang Madsen, Thalia K. K. Robakis, Xiaoqin Liu, Natalie Momen, Henrik Larsson, Julie Werenberg Dreier, Helene Kildegaard, Jane Bjerg Groth, Jeffrey H. H. Newcorn, Per Hove Thomsen, Trine Munk-Olsen, Veerle Bergink
Summary: A study found no significant long-term adverse effects on the neurodevelopment and growth outcomes of children exposed to ADHD medication during pregnancy compared to children whose mothers discontinued medication before pregnancy.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Anton Tokariev, Michael Breakspear, Mari Videman, Susanna Stjerna, Lianne H. Scholtens, Martijn P. van den Heuvel, Luca Cocchi, Sampsa Vanhatalo
Summary: In utero exposure to antiepileptic medication can impact cortical activity during neonatal sleep, with effects differing between drugs. These effects on functional brain networks provide prognostic information for later neurodevelopment. This study offers bedside metrics sensitive to the effects of antiepileptic drugs on postnatal neurodevelopment.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Varsha Bhatt-Mehta, Xinyue Jing, Xinwen Wang, Hao-Jie Zhu
Summary: The study aims to evaluate whether maternal and umbilical cord plasma concentrations of methadone and its metabolite, EDDP, could predict the need for NOWS treatment. The results suggest that the maternal-to-cord methadone plasma concentration ratio could be a potential biomarker for predicting the need for NOWS treatment.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Farwa Athar, Muhammad Ehsan, Minaam Farooq, Kevin B. Lo, Huzaifa A. Cheema, Shahzaib Ahmad, Aiman Naveed, Mohammad Umer
Summary: This systematic review aimed to assess the safety profile of oxcarbazepine during pregnancy, with results showing an association with congenital malformations and fetal/perinatal deaths. However, more cohort studies with a higher sample size are needed to truly assess the in-utero safety profile of the drug.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Elizabeth M. Stringer, Evelin Martinez, Bryan Blette, Christian Eduardo Toval Ruiz, Michael Boivin, Omar Zepeda, Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, Marlen Morales, Shiara Ortiz-Pujols, Itziar Familiar, Matthew Collins, Meylin Chavarria, Barbara Goldman, Natalie Bowman, Aravinda de Silva, Daniel Westreich, Michael Hudgens, Sylvia Becker-Dreps, Filemon Bucardo
Summary: This study followed 129 newborns for up to 24 months and found that children exposed to Zika virus in utero had lower neurocognitive scores at 24 months compared to unexposed children. Factors such as maternal Zika infection and low birthweight were associated with lower cognitive scores.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Erin Kelty, Mishka Terplan, Carol Orr, David B. Preen
Summary: This study aims to assess the potential risks associated with prenatal oxycodone exposure on neonatal outcomes. The results showed that the use of oxycodone was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, reduced birth weight, and admission to the special care nursery. Therefore, prenatal oxycodone exposure may have negative effects on newborns.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sabrina Rahman Archie, Ali Ehsan Sifat, David Mara, Yeseul Ahn, Khondker Ayesha Akter, Yong Zhang, Luca Cucullo, Thomas J. Abbruscato
Summary: This study evaluated the consequences of maternal e-cig use on neonatal neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function. The findings suggest that prenatal e-cig exposure induces postnatal neuroinflammation by promoting oxidative stress, increasing cytokines' levels, and disrupting mitochondrial function. These damaging events can alter the fetal brain's immune functions, making such offspring more vulnerable to brain insults.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Melani R. Mahanani, Eman Abderbwih, Amanda S. Wendt, Andreas Deckert, Khatia Antia, Olaf Horstick, Peter Dambach, Stefan Kohler, Volker Winkler
Summary: Most studies suggest negative consequences from in utero Ramadan exposure on health and economic outcomes, with adverse effects including higher mortality rates, shorter stature, lower BMI, increased incidence of disabilities, and lower educational scores. However, evidence on the long-term impacts is limited. Awareness of potential risks of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy should be raised, and better maternal healthcare promoted by clinicians and antenatal care workers.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Krystyna R. Isaacs, Sravanthi Atreyapurapu, Amal H. Alyusuf, David M. Ledgerwood, Loretta P. Finnegan, Katie H. K. Chang, Tony X. Ma, Yukiko Washio
Summary: The majority of pregnant women with opioid use disorder also smoke tobacco but often lack tobacco cessation counseling. The impact of combined exposure to opioids and nicotine in utero on neonatal outcomes is not well-understood. Studies have shown a reduction in birth weight and length for infants with combined exposure to opioids and nicotine, with mixed findings on other neonatal outcomes such as NAS duration and severity. Additional research is needed to accurately predict these outcomes based on dosage and length of nicotine exposure during pregnancy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)