(Download) "Buprenorphine and Norbuprenorphine in Hair of Pregnant Women and Their Infants After Controlled Buprenorphine Administration (Drug Monitoring and Toxicology)" by Clinical Chemistry * eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Buprenorphine and Norbuprenorphine in Hair of Pregnant Women and Their Infants After Controlled Buprenorphine Administration (Drug Monitoring and Toxicology)
- Author : Clinical Chemistry
- Release Date : January 01, 2007
- Genre: Chemistry,Books,Science & Nature,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 231 KB
Description
Illicit drugs or alcohol were used by 13% of pregnant women in the US in 1999 and 2000, with opiates accounting for 19% of the abused substances (1). Buprenorphine, a partial mu opioid agonist and kappa antagonist approved in the US for treatment of nonpregnant opioid-dependent adults, may decrease the incidence and/or severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome often observed after prenatal exposure to full mu agonists (2). Although buprenorphine is not yet approved in the US for use during pregnancy, physicians are prescribing it to pregnant patients because the medication can be taken at home and also has a favorable safety profile (1). For ethical and safety reasons, it is important to limit exposure to medications during pregnancy because of potential harm to the developing fetus. Untreated chronic illnesses, however, such as opioid dependence, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Buprenorphine treatment during gestation is similar to methadone in benefits for mother and child (3). Although benefits during pregnancy appear to outweigh risks, accumulating data regarding dose-concentration relationships are critical to understanding how this medication impacts maternal and neonatal outcomes.