Patients with Mood Disorders Require Higher Doses of Buprenorphine for Management of Opioid Use Disorder but Have No Increased Risk of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Authors: Tonismae Tiffany , McDowell Misty , Torres Loraine , Slaven James E. , Quinney Sara K. , Schubert Frank , Abernathy Mary Pell 
Published: November 2021

Objective: This study compared differences in buprenorphine doses needed to treat opioid use disorder in pregnant women with and without mood disorders and to compare the development of neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants delivered to mothers treated with buprenorphine in patients with history of mood disorders versus those without mood disorder.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included women with opioid use disorder prescribed buprenorphine who had at least one outpatient visit at with the Indiana University Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine during pregnancy and delivered within the Indiana University Health system. Charts were reviewed for maternal demographics, medical history and medication use, and neonatal outcomes. Cases included those patients with history of mood disorder including depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder based on initial appointment intake forms. Starting and maximum doses of buprenorphine during pregnancy were recorded. Outcomes were compared using Student’s t-tests and Analysis of Variance models for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables. All analytic assumptions were verified, with non-parametric tests being performed where necessary.

Results: A total of 266 women were treated with opioids, of which 171 were diagnosed with a mood disorder: 148 depression, 130 anxiety, and 19 post-traumatic stress disorder. Over 40% of the patients had a history of dual diagnoses. Patients with a history of depression or anxiety required a higher dose of buprenorphine during pregnancy (p=0.0217, p=0.0165) compared to those without a history of mood disorder. There was no significant difference in the doses in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder versus controls. In those with a diagnosis of mood disorder, there was no difference in buprenorphine dose between women on medication versus those not on medication for depression, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There was no statistical difference between patients with or without mood disorder and the development of neonatal abstinence syndrome. For those that developed neonatal abstinence syndrome, infants whose mothers had anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder required 2-6 extra days of morphine treatment compared to those infants of mothers without mood disorder (p=0.0088, p=0.0291), no difference seen for depression or a combination of mood disorders. Development of neonatal abstinence syndrome or length of treatment did not vary if the mother was on medication for treatment of her mood disorder.

Conclusion: Pregnant women with a mood disorder require higher doses of buprenorphine compared to patients without a mood disorder. In women with mood disorders, there was no difference in buprenorphine dose in women treated with medication compared to those not taking medication for mood disorders.

While, there was no difference in the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants whose mothers also had a mood disorder, infants born of women with anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder had longer stays at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as they needed 2-6 extra days of morphine treatment. These findings may help guide provider counseling of these women in discussion of post-delivery expectations.