According to a report released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, more than 25% women of child bearing age are
getting prescriptions for opioid painkillers, such as Vicodin and
OxyContin, that can cause birth defects and other serious complications
early in pregnancy.Typically, these common opioid medications are prescribed for moderate to severe pain, and they are also found in some prescription cough medicines. Taking them early in pregnancy is dangerous. “They’re deadly, they’re addictive and they cause birth defects,” CDC Director Tom Frieden said.
Earlier studies of opioid use during pregnancy show that they could increase risk of major defects of the baby’s brain and spine, heart and abdominal wall. However, this is the first time that the CDC has looked into opioid painkillers specifically among women of child-bearing age. This study is important because women taking these medications may not know they’re pregnant and may expose their unborn baby to serious risks.
After analyzing data from 2008 to 2012 from two sets of data for women ages 15-44: those with private insurance and those enrolled in Medicaid, CDC researchers found that, on average, 39% of Medicaid-enrolled women filled at least one opioid prescription each year, compared with 28% of women with private insurance. The report said that one of the reasons for the different prescribing rates might be differences in coverage under their health plans and differences in the women’s underlying health conditions.
Private-insurance claims data showed that opioid prescription rates were highest for women in the South and lowest in the Northeast. Medicaid race and ethnicity data showed that opioid prescriptions were higher for white women who might become pregnant than black or Latino women.
Pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant should discuss the risks with their doctor.
Source:Pioneer News
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