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Updated: Oct 13, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

[OPIATES USE IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS--CALL FOR CAUTION]

Arieh Riskin, Irit Shoris, Galina Kidalov

    Harefuah
    |February 23, 2016
    PubMed

    Insights

    Opioid use in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants is linked to increased short-term health issues, including longer breathing support and feeding times. Caution is advised, and alternative pain management strategies should be explored for VLBW neonates.

    Area of Science:

    • Neonatalogy
    • Pharmacology
    • Pediatric Critical Care

    Context:

    • Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants often require sedation and pain management.
    • Opioids are commonly used for these purposes in neonatal intensive care units.

    Purpose:

    • To investigate the short-term outcomes associated with opioid administration in VLBW infants.
    • To identify potential morbidities linked to opioid use in this vulnerable population.

    Summary:

    • A retrospective study compared 45 VLBW infants treated with opioids (fentanyl or morphine) to 114 controls.
    • Opioid-exposed VLBW infants had significantly lower gestational age and birth weight, longer durations of ventilatory support and oxygen supplementation, and higher rates of intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, infections, necrotizing enterocolitis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
    • Multivariate analysis indicated that opioid use was independently associated with patent ductus arteriosus and prolonged ventilatory support and enteral feeding times.

    Impact:

    • Findings suggest a potential association between opioid use and adverse short-term outcomes in VLBW infants.
    • Highlights the need for cautious opioid administration and exploration of alternative sedation and analgesia methods in neonates.
    • Underscores the necessity for further investigation through randomized controlled trials to confirm these associations.
    Abstract

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