The US Opioid Crisis: Addressing Maternal and Infant Health

August 9, 2018

CDC released the first-ever multi-state analysis of trends in opioid use disorder (OUD) in labor and delivery. These data indicate the number of pregnant women with OUD at labor and delivery more than quadrupled from 1999 through 2014, with significant increases in every one of the 28 states with available data. 

OUD during pregnancy has been associated with a range of negative health outcomes for both mothers and their babies including maternal death, preterm birth, stillbirth, and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Reducing the burden of OUD on pregnant women and infants is a key component of CDC's response to the opioid crisis.  For additional information about CDC's work in this area, please see this new infographic highlighting strategies to address opioid use disorder and improve maternal