Primary prevention strategies, such as prescription drug monitoring programs and ensuring proper access to family planning and contraception methods may help reduce the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), said CDC researchers.
Writing in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers cited the 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, noting that in March 2016, the FDA added a black box warning for NAS to both sustained and immediate-release opioids when used during pregnancy. They discussed two CDC initiatives to encourage safe prescribing practices among clinicians for women of reproductive age: Treating for Two: Safer Medication Use in Pregnancy Initiative and National Preconception Health and Health Care.
In addition to primary prevention, the authors recommended interventions, such as the use of medication-assisted treatment with methadone or buprenorphine in pregnant women with opioid use disorders.