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Executive function in preschool children prenatally exposed to methadone or buprenorphine

Carolien Konijnenberg1, Annika Melinder

  • 1a The Cognitive Developmental Research Unit, Department of Psychology , University of Oslo , Norway.

Child Neuropsychology : a Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence
|October 31, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Children exposed to opioids in utero via opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) showed lower executive function, including memory and inhibition. These effects were linked to maternal socioeconomic factors, warranting developmental monitoring.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Increasing prevalence of prenatal exposure to methadone or buprenorphine.
  • Limited understanding of long-term neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal opioid exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate executive function (EF) in preschool-aged children exposed prenatally to opioids through maternal opioid maintenance therapy (OMT).
  • To compare EF performance between children with and without prenatal opioid exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 66 children aged 48-57 months.
  • 35 children had documented prenatal exposure to methadone or buprenorphine via OMT.
  • Executive function assessed using neuropsychological tests and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P).

Main Results:

  • Children with prenatal OMT exposure performed lower on short-term memory and inhibition tasks compared to nonexposed peers.
  • Lower maternal education and employment rates were associated with poorer EF outcomes in the OMT group.
  • While significantly lower than controls, the OMT group's EF scores remained within the average range across all measures.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal opioid exposure through OMT is associated with subtle deficits in executive function during early childhood.
  • Socioeconomic factors play a significant role in the executive function outcomes of these children.
  • Ongoing developmental monitoring is recommended for children with prenatal opioid exposure to identify and address potential behavioral issues.

Keywords:
BuprenorphineCognitive developmentExecutive functionMethadoneOpioid maintenance therapyPrenatal exposure

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