PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Boardman, James P
AU  - Mactier, Helen
AU  - Devlin, Lori A
TI  - Opioids and the developing brain: time to rethink perinatal care for infants of opioid-dependent mothers
AID  - 10.1136/archdischild-2020-320102
DP  - 2022 Jan 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
PG  - 98--104
VI  - 107
IP  - 1
4099  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/107/1/98.short
4100  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/107/1/98.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2022 Jan 01; 107
AB  - Illicit use of opioids is a global health crisis with major implications for women and children. Strategies for managing opioid use disorder (OUD) in pregnancy have been tested over the past 40 years, but studies have focused on maternal and pregnancy outcomes, with less attention given to long-term follow-up of exposed children. Here, we provide a narrative review of recent advances in the assessment and management of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), and we summarise evidence from multiple domains—neuroimaging, electrophysiology, visual development and function, neurodevelopment, behaviour, cognition and education—which suggests that prenatal opioid exposure modifies child development. Further studies are required to determine the optimal management of pregnant women with OUD and babies with NOWS. We identify knowledge gaps and suggest that future study designs should evaluate childhood outcomes, including infant brain development and long-term neurocognitive and visual function.Not applicable.