Graphical summary. Credit score: Anesthesiology (2025). DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005418
Aotearoa New Zealand has the third highest prevalence of prescribed opioid use throughout being pregnant in a brand new multi-national research of 13 high-income international locations.
Co-author of the analysis Dr. Sarah Donald, of the College of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Division of Preventive and Social Drugs, says the findings have been sudden and the dangers of opioid use should be higher thought of.
“Of the participating countries, only the US and Iceland had higher prescribed use. Almost 8% of pregnancies in New Zealand were exposed to an opioid, compared to only 4% in Canada and 0.4% in the UK,” she says.
“Opioid use will be influenced by local factors such as the prevalence of pain-related conditions, the organization of the health system, and approaches toward pain relief, but this between-country variation suggests it is time to take a look at the New Zealand guidelines,” she says.
The research, led by the College of New South Wales and revealed in journal Anesthesiology, analyzed prescription analgesic opioid use throughout greater than 20 million pregnancies, excluding throughout childbirth, from the years 2000 to 2020.
It used anonymized information from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the UK, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, and located use was steady, or downward trending over time in most international locations.
The best charge of use was within the US and the bottom was within the UK. Total, the commonest opioids taken have been codeine and tramadol.
Use was extra frequent in late being pregnant, and amongst these with decrease revenue and better physique mass index.
Dr. Donald says use of any prescription medicine throughout being pregnant additionally elevated over the 20-year interval.
“This common development could replicate the growing age of pregnant people, and due to this fact a better prevalence of medical situations requiring remedy, in addition to rising recognition of the historic undertreatment of pregnant individuals.
“For opioids specifically, the drivers of increased use in pregnancy are unclear, and further research in this area would be helpful. It is reassuring, though, that of those using an opioid during pregnancy, about 80% received just one prescription.”
Co-author Professor Lianne Parkin, additionally of Otago’s Division of Preventive and Social Drugs, says opioids cross the placenta, exposing the fetus, and use throughout early being pregnant could improve the chance of sure congenital malformations.
“They’ll additionally improve the chance of adversarial outcomes similar to preterm start and low start weight, respiration issues or withdrawal signs within the child after supply, and longer-term neurodevelopmental situations.
“These risks need to be considered when deciding whether to use opioids to treat moderate or severe pain during pregnancy.”
Extra data:
Jonathan Brett et al, World Traits in Analgesic Opioid Use in Being pregnant: A Retrospective Cohort Examine, Anesthesiology (2025). DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005418
Offered by
College of Otago
Quotation:
Excessive charges of opioid use present in NZ pregnancies (2025, Could 26)
retrieved 26 Could 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-05-high-opioid-nz-pregnancies.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any honest dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for data functions solely.
