Are male neonates more vulnerable to neonatal abstinence syndrome than female neonates?

Autor(en)

Annemarie Unger, Reinhold Jagsch, Andjela Baewert, Bernadette Winklbaur, Klaudia Rohrmeister, Peter R. Martin, Mara Coyle, Gabriele Fischer

Abstrakt

Background: Prior studies have shown an increased vulnerability among males to adverse outcomes

during the postnatal period. Most children exposed to opioids and other medications in utero develop

neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), yet individual predisposition for NAS is poorly understood.

Objective: This investigation examined the role of neonatal sex in the postnatal period for neonates

exposed to standardized opioid maintenance treatment in utero with a focus on NAS regarding severity,

medication requirements, and duration.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data collected in a prospective randomized, double-blind,

double-dummy, multicenter trial (MOTHER study) that examined the comparative safety and efficacy of

methadone and buprenorphine during pregnancy. A total of 131 neonates born to opioid-dependent

women randomized at 6 US sites (n = 74) and 1 European site (n = 37) were analyzed. Sex-based differences

in birth weight, length, head circumference, NAS duration, NAS severity, and treatment parameters of

full-term neonates were assessed.

Results: Males had a significantly higher birth weight (P = 0.027) and head circumference (P = 0.017)

compared with females, with no significant sex difference in rates of preterm delivery. No significant

sex-related differences were found for NAS development, severity, or duration, or medication administered,

and there were no significant differences in concomitant drug consumption during pregnancy (P = 0.959).

Conclusions: This unique prospective study shows similar postnatal vulnerability for both sexes, suggesting

that factors other than sex are the major determinants of clinically significant NAS.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Klinische und Gesundheitspsychologie

Externe Organisation(en)

Vanderbilt University, Brown University, Medizinische Universität Wien

Journal

Gender Medicine

Band

Seiten

355-364

Anzahl der Seiten

ISSN

1550-8579

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genm.2011.10.001

Publikationsdatum

2011

Peer-reviewed

ÖFOS 2012

501005 Entwicklungspsychologie, 501010 Klinische Psychologie

Schlagwörter

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