Neonates with in utero exposure to strong prescription opioid agonists are significantly more likely to develop neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) than those exposed to weak agonists, according to a new study.
The cohort study, published in JAMA Network Open (2022;5[8]:e2228588), also found that long half-life opioids significantly increased the risk for NOWS compared with short half-life opioids.
These associations were independent of morphine milligram equivalents (MME) doses.