Cognitive and behavioral impact on children exposed to opioids during neonatal development

Abstract

The use of opioids during pregnancy and lactation, whether as a result of prescription misuse or illicit use, has consequences for the mother and the baby. Fifty to eighty percent of babies exposed to opioids develop neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Unlike babies not exposed to opioids, children with NOWS are more likely to develop various behavioral and cognitive disorders, as well as to perform poorly in academic and social fields. Similarly, opioid-exposed newborns tend to have potential effects on birth and other pregnancy outcomes that cause physical impairments and contribute to additional comorbidities. This set of preconditions, combined with high-risk environmental factors, could result in serious consequences affecting the personal and social sphere of the growing individual. Such consequences should be considered by initial and basic education teachers in their teaching practices. This review aims to provide the framework that could facilitate the integration and implementation of new treatments, strategies and/ or educational approaches, as well as contribute to build a frame of reference in academic decision-making on opioid regulation and improve current training techniques carried out in learning centers with opioid-dependent patients and neonatally drug-exposed youth.