Risk of Postpartum Opioid Use Disorder or Opioid Overdose after Prenatal Opioid Analgesic Use

Abstract

Four percent of women use opioids for pain in pregnancy in the United States and Canada.1,2 An increased risk of postpartum opioid overdose among women with opioid use disorder (OUD) has been observed; however, the risk of opioid-related harm among women with prenatal opioid analgesic use and no prior OUD is unknown.3–5 We used administrative health data to estimate the risk of and factors associated with postpartum OUD or opioid overdose in prenatally exposed women.