Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
07:11

Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling

Published on: February 5, 2019

9.5K

The evaluation of lymphopenia in infants exposed to opioids in-utero

Eleny Romanos-Sirakis1, Rudayna Zureikat-Obeid2, Tova Chein2

  • 1Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Staten Island University Hospital Northwell Health, Staten Island, NY.

Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
|October 15, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Neonates exposed to opioids in-utero showed higher rates of lymphopenia, a condition affecting white blood cells. This study highlights a potential immunologic risk for infants with prenatal opioid exposure.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal immunology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Opioid use is linked to immune system effects like lymphopenia.
  • Prenatal opioid exposure's impact on neonatal immunity is understudied.
  • Opioid use during pregnancy is increasing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between in-utero opioid exposure and neonatal lymphopenia.
  • To evaluate the immunologic effects on neonates exposed to opioids before birth.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  • Comparison of lymphocyte counts between neonates with in-utero opioid exposure and a control NICU population.

Main Results:

  • A significantly higher percentage of neonates exposed to opioids in-utero were lymphopenic (44%) compared to controls (24%).
  • The observed difference in lymphopenia rates was statistically significant (p=0.035).

Conclusions:

  • This study suggests a potential link between prenatal opioid exposure and neonatal lymphopenia.
  • This is the first known investigation into this specific association.
  • Further research is required to understand the clinical significance of neonatal lymphopenia in opioid-exposed infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
Key words: neonatal abstinence syndromelymphopeniaopioids

More Related Videos

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development08:50

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development

Published on: June 24, 2020

4.2K
Modeling Ascending Vaginal Infection, Preterm Birth, and Neonatal Morbidity in Mice04:18

Modeling Ascending Vaginal Infection, Preterm Birth, and Neonatal Morbidity in Mice

Published on: October 10, 2025

290

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
184
Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
745