No randomized controlled trial evidence suggests that giving naloxone to all babies who have been exposed to maternal opioids (for analgesia in labor) improves clinically meaningful outcomes over placebo or no treatment.

Some of the nine trials, enrolling 316 newborn infants in total, did report improvement in measures of respiratory function (expired carbon dioxide and alveolar ventilation); however, these outcomes are of little clinical relevance.

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) remains. Naloxone given to such infants may cause acute withdrawal and seizures.