Journal of addictive diseases
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Comparative Study
Opioid use disorder among pregnant women in the 2000-2014 North Carolina state inpatient database.
Background: The opioid epidemic's impact reached an increasing portion of the United States population, including pregnant women. Objectives: We sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with opioid use disorders during pregnancy in North Carolina. Study Design: Using North Carolina's State Inpatient Sample, a retrospective study was conducted to identify pregnancy-related discharges between 2000 and 2014. ⋯ Compared to other racial groups, non-Hispanic whites had a notably higher prevalence of opioid use disorders (5.8/1,000 pregnancy-related discharges) (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Very few health issues have garnered the attention of such diverse sectors of our society as the opioid epidemic. As the first state-level analysis of opioid use disorders among delivery hospitalizations, these findings suggest the need for a system-wide public health response such as improved funding for Medicaid and child welfare systems to improve the health of the opioid-exposed mother-infant dyad.