Neonatal outcome following maternal opiate use in late pregnancy

To determine the neonatal outcome in the form of use of morphine and triclofos to treat the neonatal abstinence syndrome following maternal opiate use in late pregnancy.

Retrospective case study of 51 pregnancies associated with maternal opiate use between January 1992 and December 1997.

There were 51 pregnancies which resulted in 51 live births. In the third trimester 22 women took methadone only, 19 women used heroin and 10 women stopped opiate use during pregnancy. Babies of methadone using mothers were less likely to be treated with morphine or triclofos than heroin using women. Morphine, triclofos use was more common in high dose methadone users compared with low users.

Successful methadone substitution compared with continued heroin use results in reduced morphine and triclofos use in the babies exposed.