A recent study suggests a potential connection between exposure to the potent opioid painkiller fentanyl during pregnancy and the occurrence of physical deformities, such as cleft palates, clubbed feet, and other birth defects in newborns.
The report outlines findings by a team of pediatric researchers who examined the medical history of infants exposed to nonprescription fentanyl in utero. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid prescribed for severe and chronic pain, is significantly more potent than morphine, and its use has surged in recent years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified fentanyl as the most perilous drug in the country.
The study focused on six infants exposed to nonprescription fentanyl during pregnancy, all exhibiting similar physical traits and health issues. These infants faced challenges with feeding and shared birth defects, including distinct facial features, smaller heads, shortened stature, and deformities in fingers, hands, feet, and genitals. Three of the infants experienced abnormal brain development and disruptions in cholesterol metabolism, resolving within months after birth.
Four additional cases contributed by clinicians showcased similar physical characteristics and abnormal cholesterol metabolism but with less distinctive facial features. While initially resembling Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, genetic testing ruled out this condition and other potential factors, prompting researchers to explore the possibility of a new syndrome associated with prenatal fentanyl exposure.
The pediatricians concluded that the additional cases supported the causal relationship between prenatal fentanyl exposure and the observed syndrome. Given the ongoing fentanyl epidemic, they anticipate a significant public health impact related to this novel syndrome.
Researchers emphasize the need for further evaluation to understand potential growth, behavioral, and intellectual effects of prenatal fentanyl exposure on developing babies and throughout their lifetimes. While fentanyl is legally prescribed, its association with more overdose deaths than any other drug in the U.S., along with its abuse potential and inclusion in other substances, raises concerns about accidental overdose.
Numerous studies have linked opioid use during pregnancy, including fentanyl, to adverse birth outcomes, such as debilitating birth defects and neonatal abstinence syndrome. The escalating opioid epidemic has led to a substantial increase in infants born with opioid withdrawal symptoms, raising serious long-term health concerns for these children.
In July, research indicated that babies born to opioid-addicted mothers faced a higher risk of mortality within their first year, even if opioid abuse was reduced or eliminated early in pregnancy.
