New report examines the non-medical use of opioids among women of childbearing age

A Report to Congress outlines measures to address the problem

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

A new report using combined data from a series of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) data sets examines the misuse of opioids among women of childbearing age. At the same time a new report to Congress outlines proposals for helping reduce the risk that this national problem may pose to pregnant women and infants.

The new statistical report found pregnant women (ages 15 to 44 years) were less likely than non-pregnant women of the same age to have used opioids in the past month (0.9 versus 2.6 percent) for non-medical reasons.

Nevertheless, these findings show that an estimated average of about 21,000 pregnant women aged 15 to 44 non-medically used opioids in the past month. The frequency of opioid use varied significantly depending upon maternal age. The percentage of pregnant women using opioid during the month prior to the survey was three folds higher for pregnant women 18 to 25 years old and four folds higher for pregnant women 15 to 17 years old, compared to those aged 18-25 years (1.5 and 2.8 respectively compared to 0.5 percent).

Likewise, there has been a dramatic increase the proportion of infants at birth who are dependent on opioid drugs, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers (e.g., oxycodone, hydrocodone). Between 2000 and 2009, in the United States, the number of infants born to women who had used opioids increased nearly five folds annually from 1.19 to 5.63 per 1,000 hospital births.

“It is critical that pregnant women of all ages have access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services that meet their specialized needs,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Kana Enomoto. “Programs that provide pregnant women with access to opioid use disorder treatment and reproductive health services can help ensure that these future mothers and their children live healthier, happier and more productive lives.”

The report found that 21,553 female substance abuse treatment admissions aged 15 to 44 were pregnant at treatment entry. Of these 21,553 admissions, 22.9 percent reported heroin as a substance of abuse, and 28.1 percent reported any non-heroin opioid as a substance of abuse.

SAMHSA’s 2012 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services data indicated 13 percent of outpatient-only substance abuse treatment facilities and 13 percent of residential treatment facilities offered special programs for pregnant/postpartum women.

Concern over the opioid disorder crisis prompted and the potential harm that the misuse of opioids could pose to pregnant women and infants led to the passage of the Projecting Our Infants Act of 2015 (POIA) (Pub. L.114-91). A provision of this Act required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (of which SAMHSA is a part) to conduct a review of planning and coordination activities related to prenatal opioid exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome; develop recommendations for the identification, prevention, and treatment of prenatal opioid exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome; and develop a strategy to address gaps, overlap, and duplication among federal programs and federal coordination efforts to address neonatal abstinence syndrome.

SAMHSA is issuing this report to Congress and will be publishing it in the Federal Register to solicit public comment on its recommendations. The report provides background information on prenatal opioid exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome (Part 1), summarizes HHS activities related to prenatal opioid exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome (Part 2), presents clinical and programmatic evidence and recommendations for preventing and treating neonatal abstinence syndrome (Part 3), and presents a strategy to address the identified gaps, challenges, and recommendations (Part 4).

The statistical report, Women of Childbearing Age and Opioids is available at:http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2724/ShortReport-2724.html. The findings were drawn from data in SAMHSA’s 2012-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports. In addition this report includes data from SAMHSA’s Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), and N-SSATS.

The NSDUH data provides information on opioid use among women of childbearing age in the general population, whereas TEDS data focus on women of childbearing age who have been admitted to substance use treatment for opioid use. The N-SSATS data describe specialized, relevant services offered to women within the nation’s substance abuse treatment facilities.

For more information, contact the SAMHSA Press Office at 240-276-2130.