A new federally funded study aims to start answering it. A researcher at WashU Medicine has received a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.
They plan to study how opioid exposure before birth affects long-term brain development and behavior, according to WashU’s news service, The Source.
Why This Research Matters for Treatment Decisions
Infants exposed to opioids in the womb can have difficulty with memory, behavior, and social skills across their lifespan.
For a pregnant person living with opioid use disorder, that reality sits alongside another well-established fact: stopping opioids abruptly during pregnancy carries its own serious risks.
This is part of why clinicians often recommend medication rather than detoxification during pregnancy.
The study, led by Ream Al-Hasani, an associate professor of anesthesiology at WashU Medicine, uses mouse models to examine how exposure to the opioid oxycodone during pregnancy affects neurodevelopment in offspring.
Comparing Two Treatment Approaches
What makes the research relevant to anyone researching addiction treatment is its head-to-head design. The team will compare two approaches already used in clinical care.
The first is opioid maintenance therapy, in which the pregnant subject receives a controlled medication such as methadone or buprenorphine to reduce cravings.
These are the same medications used in medication-assisted treatment, often called MAT, for opioid use disorder in people who are not pregnant.
The second is opioid withdrawal mitigation, in which newborns receive safe doses of a medication such as methadone, morphine, or buprenorphine shortly after birth to ease withdrawal symptoms.
By tracking which approach leads to better outcomes, the researchers hope to give clinicians and families better guidance.
How the Study Works
Al-Hasani will work with WashU Medicine colleagues Joel R. Garbow, a professor of radiology, and Susan Maloney, an associate professor of psychiatry, to track learning, emotion, social behavior and pain sensitivity in the young mice as they grow.
The team will use MRI scans to observe changes in brain size and structure and will study brain circuits involved in reward and addiction to determine which treatment approach better supports neurodevelopment.
“Understanding the long-term effects of oxycodone exposure, along with opioid maintenance therapy and withdrawal mitigation strategies, will help identify treatments and targets that may reduce lasting negative consequences on long-term neurodevelopment,” Al-Hasani said.
What This Means for Treatment Seekers
For pregnant people with opioid use disorder, the practical takeaway today is that supervised medication-based treatment remains the recommended standard, and research like this is working to refine it further.
Anyone facing this decision should speak with an addiction medicine specialist or an OB-GYN experienced in substance use, rather than attempting to stop opioids alone.
Finding the Right Rehab
If you or someone you love is researching addiction treatment during or after pregnancy, a few next steps can help:
- Compare rehab centers that offer specialized programs for pregnant and parenting patients
- Ask whether a facility provides medication-assisted treatment such as methadone or buprenorphine
- Verify insurance coverage for addiction treatment before admission
- Confirm that the program coordinates obstetric and addiction care
Rehab.com’s directory includes verified treatment centers that can help those who are struggling with opioid addiction. Call
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