Developmental outcomes with perinatal exposure (DOPE) to prescription opioids

Adrian Flores; Nghi M Nguyen; Gurudutt Pendyala

doi:10.1515/nipt-2023-0017

Developmental outcomes with perinatal exposure (DOPE) to prescription opioids

NeuroImmune Pharm Ther. 2023 Nov 27;2(4):339-351. doi: 10.1515/nipt-2023-0017. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Adrian Flores^{1

2}, Nghi M Nguyen^{1

3}, Gurudutt Pendyala^{1

3

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.
² Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UNMC, Omaha, NE, USA.
³ Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, UNMC, Omaha, NE, USA.
⁴ Child Health Research Institute, Omaha, NE, USA.
⁵ National Strategic Research Institute, UNMC, Omaha, NE, USA.

Abstract

Researchers have found considerable evidence in the past 20 years that perinatal opioid exposure leads to an increased risk of developmental disorders in offspring that persist into adulthood. The use of opioids to treat pain concerning pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum complications has been rising. As a result, communities have reported a 300-400 % increase in Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). NOWS represents the initial stage of several behavioral, phenotypic, and synaptic deficits. This review article summarizes the Developmental Outcomes of Perinatal Exposure (DOPE) to prescription opioids. Moreover, we also seek to connect these findings to clinical research that describes DOPE at multiple stages of life. Since specific mechanisms that underlie DOPE remain unclear, this article aims to provide a framework for conceptualizing across all ages and highlight the implications they may have for longevity.

Keywords: epidemiology; neurobehavior; perinatal; preclinical; prescription opioids.

Publication types

Review

Abstract

Publication types

Grants and funding