Relationship between maternal methadone dosage and neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Methadone is the treatment of choice for opioid users. It is administered orally and decreases maternal risks associated with sharing needles. Methadone also improves general maternal health and improves perinatal outcome. Methadone use in pregnancy however is controversial due to its association with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) occurring in 30–90% of babies, which can be fatal if untreated. Conclusions: This study showed a significant relationship between NAS and mother using ≥60 mg of methadone. Any form of polydrug use was also significantly associated with NAS (p=0.048). We recommend patient motivation, medical and social support to keep methadone dose and supplemental drug use to a minimum to decrease the incidence of NAS. {For full abstract in the National Institute of Health Sciences research bulletin, see the pdf attachment