Optimizing Pregnancy Treatment Interventions for Moms (OPTI-Mom): A Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Opioid use disorder (OUD) presents a growing public health challenge, particularly among pregnant women.
• The need for effective interventions to support pregnant women with OUD is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a patient navigation (PN) intervention for pregnant women with OUD.
• To evaluate PN's impact on reducing substance use, improving mental health, quality of life, and treatment engagement.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving treatment-seeking pregnant women with opioid dependence undergoing buprenorphine maintenance treatment.
• Participants received a 10-session prenatal and 4-session postnatal PN intervention.
• Data collected at baseline, and post-prenatal and post-postnatal intervention periods using descriptive statistics and general estimating equation analyses.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one women completed the PN intervention and follow-up.
• Significant improvements observed in abstinence from illicit opioids, drug use, and depression symptoms.
• Trends indicated enhancements in general health and increased substance use treatment attendance.
• Most participants received adequate prenatal care.

Conclusions:

• Patient navigation (PN) is a feasible adjunctive intervention for pregnant women with OUD.
• PN shows promise in improving health outcomes and service engagement for this population.
• Findings support the integration of PN into treatment for pregnant women with opioid dependence initiating buprenorphine.