Best Evidence-Based Best Practices for Helping Women that are Addicted to Opiates during Pregnancy

Background: Women of childbearing age that are active opiate users are at high risk of inflicting irreversible damage on not only themselves but onto their unborn children as well. There are limited studies on effective treatment options and education models for pregnant women addicted to opiates. Current practices for helping women that are addicted to opiates do not address the importance of education models for successful cessation of opiate abuse, and defer to treatment options that are used for the general population. Objectives: The purpose of this integrative literature review was to identify what evidence-based best practices are being used to help women abusing opiates during pregnancy. Additionally, a recommendation was made for the essential practices that should be included in effective education models for these pregnant women in the future. Method: An integrative literature review was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Database, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EBSCO Host. For this search, the terms pregnancy, opiate use, effects of opiate use on pregnancy, and several combinations of these terms were explored. Results: Among the articles reviewed on this topic, the three best practices for helping women addicted to opiates during pregnancy were identified: drug therapy treatment; the importance of early interventions and education; and the need for multi-faceted approaches to treatment to ensure long-term success for pregnant women addicted to opiates. Recommendations to develop effective education models for this population address the three components guided by Orem’s self care theory with proposed solutions for each component as it specifically relates to women who are addicted to opiates during pregnancy. Conclusion: Further studies need to be done on effective education models for pregnant women addicted to opiates