Davies, Mark (2015) Clinical question: What are the benefits and harms of naloxone in opiate‐exposed newborn infants? Cochrane Clinical Answers,
External website: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cca/doi/10.1002/cc...
There is no randomized controlled trial evidence that giving naloxone to all babies who have been exposed to maternal opioids (for analgesia in labour) improves any clinically meaningful outcomes (such as need for neonatal intensive or special care, time to establish feeding, neonatal seizures) over placebo or no treatment; all the outcomes assessed in the trials were proxy outcomes.
Some of the nine trials, enrolling 316 newborn infants in total, did report improvements in measures of respiratory function (expired carbon dioxide and alveolar ventilation); however, these outcomes are of little clinical relevance.
There remains the serious theoretical risk of harm to infants at risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome secondary to long‐term in utero exposure to opioids (either illicit or for chronic pain). Naloxone given to such infants may cause acute withdrawal and seizures.
B Substances > Opioids (opiates) > Opioid product > Naloxone
G Health and disease > Substance use disorder (addiction) > Drug use disorder > Drug withdrawal / craving
G Health and disease > Disease by cause (Aetiology) > Foetal, infant, newborn diseases (reproductive effects)
HJ Treatment or recovery method > Substance disorder treatment method > Substance disorder drug therapy (pharmacological treatment)
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Harm reduction > Substance use harm reduction
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Patient / client care management
N Communication, information and education > Recommendations > Practice / clinical guidelines
T Demographic characteristics > Affected family members / concerned persons
T Demographic characteristics > Child of person who uses substances
VA Geographic area > International
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