by A recent study conducted by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found a significant rise in drug overdose deaths among pregnant and postpartum women between January to June 2018 and July to December 2021. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, highlights the alarming increase in overdose mortality rates among women aged 35 to 44 during the study period, with the number of deaths per 100,000 mothers tripling from 4.9 to 15.8.
Shockingly, over 60% of these pregnancy-associated overdose deaths occurred outside of healthcare settings, even in counties with accessible health care resources such as emergency and obstetric care. The study suggests that despite the availability of treatment for pregnant women with substance use disorders, there are significant barriers preventing access to care, including stigma, discrimination, limited socioeconomic resources, and penalization.
Dr. Nora Volkow, the Director of NIDA and senior author of the study, emphasized that the stigma and punitive policies surrounding substance use disorder in pregnant women increase the risk of overdose by hindering their ability to access life-saving treatment and resources. Reducing these barriers and addressing the stigma associated with addiction is crucial to enable pregnant individuals to seek and receive evidence-based treatment and social support to protect their own health and the health of their child.
While it is well-established that overdose mortality rates have surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, little was known about pregnancy-associated overdose mortality during this time. Additionally, the study aimed to uncover differences in characteristics between pregnant and postpartum women who died from a drug overdose versus those who died from childbirth-related causes.
The researchers analyzed data from the United States on multiple causes of death, county-level area health resources, county health rankings, and U.S. births before and during the pandemic. The study focused on three groups: 1,457 pregnant and postpartum individuals who died from a drug overdose, 4,796 who died from obstetric causes, and 11,205 who died from a drug overdose but were not pregnant within the past 12 months.
The findings revealed a substantial increase in overdose mortality ratios among pregnant and postpartum women across various age, racial/ethnic, educational, and marital status groups. The largest increase was observed among women aged 35 to 44, with overdose mortality ratios tripling from 4.9 to 15.8. Additionally, overdose mortality ratios nearly doubled among individuals aged 10 to 44 who died between 43 days and one year after pregnancy.
Compared to those who died from obstetric causes, pregnant women who died from a drug overdose were more likely to be younger, non-college graduates, unmarried, and die in non-home, non-health care settings. Alarmingly, 60% to 73% of overdose deaths among pregnant and postpartum women occurred outside of health care facilities. It was also noted that many of these deaths occurred in areas where medical services were available but potentially underutilized.
The study underscores the urgent need for interventions during pregnancy to mitigate the risk of overdose. Stigmatization and punitive policies prevent women with substance use disorders from seeking help and receiving prenatal care. Access to effective treatments and medical services is essential for the survival and well-being of both mothers and children.
Previous research has shown that pregnant women face numerous barriers to addiction treatment, such as difficulties obtaining child care at treatment facilities and punitive policies that result in fines, loss of child custody, involuntary commitment, and incarceration. Pregnant women who use drugs in states with punitive policies have a lower likelihood of receiving timely or quality care. Furthermore, these policies disproportionately affect Black and American Indian/Alaska Native children, leading to adverse outcomes for families.
Further studies are necessary to address disparities and understand the association between overdose mortality in pregnant and postpartum women and factors such as poverty and inadequate health care. It is crucial to conduct more research on the risk and protective factors of pregnancy-associated mortality among individuals with and without substance use disorders.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemicals and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc.
