Women Of Childbearing Age Should Avoid Opioid Painkillers

Opioid painkillers are still excessively popular, despite numerous warnings.

New findings out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that over a third of women enrolled in Medicaid and more than a quarter of those on private insurance are prescribed opioid painkillers every year.

"Taking opioid medications early in pregnancy can cause birth defects and serious problems for the infant and the mother," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Many women of reproductive age are taking these medicines and may not know they are pregnant and therefore may be unknowingly exposing their unborn child. That's why it's critical for health care professionals to take a thorough health assessment before prescribing these medicines to women of reproductive age."

For their research, the study authors looked at information from two larger health insurance claim datasets that were taken between 2009 and 2012. One included women between the aes of 15 and 44 who were on Medicaid, while the other looked at women in the same demographic with private insurance.

Findings revealed that about 29 percent of women on Medicaid and 28 percent on private insurance filled an opioid prescription from an outpatient pharmacy each year.

Women who are planning to become pregnant in the near future need to be careful about using opioid prescriptions. Previous studies show that opioid use can increase the risk of neural tube defects, congenital heart defects and gastroichisis in babies, as well as other health issues and exacerbate previously existing medical conditions.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).