The US Opioid Crisis: Addressing Maternal and Infant Health
Opioid use disorder (OUD) can cause many negative health outcomes for mothers and their babies, both during pregnancy and after delivery. Infants can be born with breathing and feeding problems, and mothers are at risk of opioid-related overdoses. As part of its overarching five-point strategy to prevent opioid overdoses and harms, CDC is taking specific actions to prevent OUD among pregnant women and women of reproductive age and to make sure women with OUD get proper treatment.
The Toll
![pill_bottles-01 The rate of overdose deaths among women](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/pill_bottles-01-small.png)
The rate of overdose deaths among women
![x4_arrow-01 Opioid use disorder (OUD) has risen more than 4X among pregnant women](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/x4_arrow-01.png)
Opioid use disorder has gone up more than 4 times among pregnant women.
![babies-01 4x as many infants were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in 2014 compared to 1999](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/babies-01-small.png)
4 times as many infants were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in 2014 than in 1999.
Health Outcomes
Opioid use disorder during pregnancy has been linked to:
![image of a calendar showing the fifth circled and the 30th x'd out](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/calendar.png)
Preterm Birth
![breathing-problems a vector image of a set of lungs](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/breathing-problems.png)
Breathing Problems
![low-birthweight a vector image of a baby laying on a set of scales](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/low-birthweight.png)
Low Birthweight
![feeding-problems vector image representing an infant with feeding problems](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/feeding-problems.png)
Feeding Problems
![maternal-mortality maternal mortality](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/maternal-mortality.png)
Maternal Mortality
Strategies for Addressing OUD among Pregnant Women
![Strategies for Addressing OUD among Pregnant Women Ensure mothers with OUD receive adequate post-birth care, including substance use treatment and relapseprevention programs. Ensure appropriate prescribing. Ensure pregnant women with OUD have access to medication assisted treatment and related services. Maximize & enhance prescription drug monitoring programs. Ensure pregnant women with OUD have access to medication assisted treatment and related services.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/strategies-OUD-pregnant-women-medium.png)
CDC’s Response
![Conducting surveillance using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to document substance use before and during pregnancy among mothers who recently gave birth](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/PRAMS-logo.png)
Conducting surveillance using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to document substance use before and during pregnancy among mothers who recently gave birth
![MMWR cover](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/MMWR_cover.png)
Issuing guidance on opioid prescribing for chronic pain, including for pregnant women
![Building state capacity to better identify women with OUD during pregnancy and standardize care for mothers and NAS-affected infants through perinatal quality collaboratives (PQCs)](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/PQC-logo.png)
Building state capacity to better identify women with OUD during pregnancy and standardize care for mothers and NAS-affected infants through perinatal quality collaboratives (PQCs)
![Improving data quality and standardization for pregnancy-associated overdose deaths to inform prevention Preterm](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/MMRI-logo.png)
Improving data quality and standardization for pregnancy-associated overdose deaths to inform prevention
![Monitoring and reporting on the incidence of NAS](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201221210824im_/https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/substance-abuse/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/images/clipboard.png)
Monitoring and reporting on the incidence of NAS
Page last reviewed: August 9, 2018