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Updated: Nov 17, 2025

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Opioids and the developing brain: time to rethink perinatal care for infants of opioid-dependent mothers

James P Boardman1,2, Helen Mactier3,4, Lori A Devlin5

  • 1MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK james.boardman@ed.ac.uk.

Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
|February 18, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal opioid exposure can alter child development, impacting areas like brain function and behavior. More research is needed to understand long-term effects and improve care for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS).

Area of Science:

  • Perinatology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Opioid use disorder (OUD) in pregnant women presents a significant public health challenge.
  • Current research primarily focuses on maternal and pregnancy outcomes, neglecting long-term child development.
  • Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) management requires further investigation regarding its lasting effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in assessing and managing NOWS.
  • To synthesize evidence on the long-term developmental impact of prenatal opioid exposure on children.
  • To identify knowledge gaps in understanding childhood outcomes related to maternal OUD.

Main Methods:

  • Narrative review of recent literature.
  • Synthesis of evidence from neuroimaging, electrophysiology, visual development, neurodevelopment, behavior, cognition, and education studies.
  • Identification of knowledge gaps and future research directions.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests prenatal opioid exposure can modify child development across multiple domains.
  • Studies indicate potential impacts on neurodevelopment, behavior, cognition, and visual function.
  • Current understanding of long-term childhood outcomes remains limited.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal opioid exposure has demonstrable effects on child development.
  • Optimal management strategies for pregnant women with OUD and infants with NOWS require further research.
  • Future studies must prioritize evaluating childhood outcomes, including infant brain development and long-term neurocognitive and visual function.

Keywords:
neonatologyneurology

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