Opioid use creates ‘public health emergency’ for pregnant Native women [Indian Country Today]

The Indian Health Service is working with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to create an opioid-use treatment program tailored for American Indian and Alaskan Native women who are pregnant or of reproductive age.

“American Indian or Alaska Native women have the highest risk of dying from a prescription opioid overdose,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Native women with opioid use disorder encounter specific barriers to access for services for treatment of mental health disorders, personal histories of trauma and accompanying opioid use disorder, and outcomes related to neonatal opioid withdrawal.”

Opioid use disorder is defined as “a pattern of opioid use characterized by craving, inability to control use, and continued use despite knowledge of adverse consequences to self, relationships, health, and livelihood.” It can have negative impacts on mothers, babies, families, relationships, and communities.

These new recommendations fall under the four areas of prevention and screening, medication-assisted treatment, integration of prenatal care, and consideration of delivery and postpartum care of women with opioid use disorder.

“The real difference and the groundbreaking part of this is these recommendations are tailored for Native communities,” said Rear Admiral Michael Toedt, chief medical officer of Indian Health Service in a media phone conference.

The guidelines were developed by the college and IHS, experts on the subject matter, healthcare providers, tribal programs, organizations, after input from Native communities.