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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Associations between opioid exposure and brain size among extremely preterm infants
Seh Hyun Kim1,2, Sara Cherkerzian1, Yvonne Sheldon1
1Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Summary
Opioid exposure in extremely preterm infants was linked to reduced cerebellar growth. Longer opioid duration in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) correlated with smaller cerebellar size at term equivalent age.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neuroscience
- Pediatric pharmacology
Background:
- Morphine and fentanyl are common in extremely preterm infants.
- Their effects on brain development remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between opioid exposure and brain size in extremely preterm infants.
- To evaluate the impact of opioid duration on cerebellar development.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of infants born <28 weeks gestation.
- Opioid exposure and term-equivalent brain MRI were analyzed.
- Brain size assessed via corrected biparietal width (cBPW) and corrected transcerebellar diameter (cTCD).
Main Results:
- Fifty-one preterm infants were included in the analysis.
- Increased natural log opioid duration was associated with lower mean cTCD (β: -0.99, 95% CI -1.94, -0.05).
- This association remained significant after adjusting for gestational age and birthweight Z-score.
Conclusions:
- Longer opioid exposure duration in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is linked to smaller cerebellar size.
- Cerebellar development may be negatively impacted by prolonged opioid use in extremely preterm infants.
