Two Patients, One Crisis: Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy

This podcast outlines clinical guidelines for managing opioid use disorder during pregnancy. We emphasize the necessity of universal screening at the first prenatal visit using validated verbal tools to identify patients regardless of their background. Opioid agonist pharmacotherapy, specifically with methadone or buprenorphine, is recommended over medically supervised withdrawal to prevent relapse and improve maternal-fetal outcomes. Medical providers are encouraged to adopt a multidisciplinary care approach that addresses mental health, infectious disease testing, and neonatal monitoring for withdrawal symptoms. Ultimately, we advocate for supportive medical interventions rather than criminal sanctions to ensure the safety of both the mother and the infant.