Prenatal Exposure to Buprenorphine Does Not Impair Neurodevelopment

THURSDAY, April 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Prenatal exposure to buprenorphine versus methadone is not associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental outcomes among children, according to a study published online April 15 in The BMJ.Sabine Friedrich, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues compared the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders among children with prenatal exposure to buprenorphine versus methadone in a population-based cohort study. Data were included from 18,612 pregnancies exposed to buprenorphine or methadone; 587 were excluded from the analysis due to exposure to the comparator drug.Overall, 12,635 and 5,390 children were exposed to buprenorphine and methadone, respectively, prenatally. The researchers found that the crude cumulative incidence of any neurodevelopmental disorder at age 8 years was 34 and 33 percent among those exposed to buprenorphine and methadone, respectively. In adjusted analyses, slightly lower hazards of any neurodevelopmental disorder were seen in association with buprenorphine versus methadone (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.81; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.70 to 0.94). For individual neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, the results were similar (adjusted hazard ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 0.89 [0.65 to 1.21] and 0.74 [0.46 to 1.21], respectively). With prevalent use, the hazards of any neurodevelopmental disorder were lower for prenatal exposure to buprenorphine versus methadone (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.62; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.51 to 0.76). With treatment initiation during pregnancy, this association was no longer seen (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.13; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.90 to 1.42)."This conclusion coupled with previous findings of a lower risk of adverse neonatal outcomes should provide reassurance for providers and individuals considering treatment with buprenorphine during pregnancy," the authors write.Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full TextEditorial.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Prenatal Exposure to Buprenorphine Does Not Impair Neurodevelopment

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