Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Sep 2, 2022
Date Accepted: Jan 28, 2023
Opioid Agonist Therapies and Pregnancy Outcomes for Pregnant People with Opioid Use Disorder: Protocol for a Systematic Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Opioid agonist therapies (OAT) are prescription medications that alleviate or eliminate opioid withdrawal symptoms so that opioid use can be managed more safely. Although OAT has been recognized as a safe option for pregnant people with opioid use disorder, many jurisdictions do not have treatment guidelines regarding pharmacological options, dosing recommendations, side effect management, and patient preferences. There is currently a lack of systematic evidence on the impacts of different OAT regimens on pregnancy outcomes.
Objective:
To evaluate the impact of specific OAT agents on pregnancy outcomes and inform recommendations for practitioners treating pregnant people with opioid use disorder.
Methods:
MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases will be searched for published quantitative studies assessing pregnancy outcomes for individuals on OAT. Primary outcomes will be preterm birth, low birthweight, small for gestational age, and stillbirth. Database searches will not be restricted by date and conference abstracts will be restricted to the past 2 years. Titles, abstracts and full-text of articles will be independently screened by two reviewers. Data will be extracted independently and in duplicate using a data extraction form to reduce the risk of reviewer bias.
Results:
As of August 2022, 3,266 abstracts have been identified for screening. Data extraction is expected to commence in October 2022.
Conclusions:
The results of this review will be used to inform clinical practice guidelines and improve health outcomes for pregnant people. Findings will be disseminated to diverse groups of stakeholders including policymakers, clinicians, community partners and patients. Clinical Trial: Prospero ID: CRD42022332082
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