Growth during the first year of life following prenatal opioid exposure: A retrospective cohort study

Objectives

Opioid use during pregnancy is common and has been shown to affect fetal growth, increasing from 6.5 to 23 per 1,000 live births over the past decade. Prenatal exposure to opioids can result in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) and is associated with a higher incidence of fetal growth restriction, including lower weight, shorter length, and smaller head circumference at delivery. The goal of the current study was to determine whether growth deficits observed at birth in opioid-exposed infants persisted over the first year of life.