CDC report examines prescription opioid use during pregnancy

The CDC published a new report in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) examining prescription opioid pain reliever use during pregnancy. The study found that, in 2019, 6.6% of women reported prescription opioid use during pregnancy, with 21.2% reporting misuse, 27.1% wanting or needing to cut down or stop using, and 31.9% reporting that they did not receive provider counseling on how opioid use could affect an infant. While the majority of respondents received prescription opioids from a health care provider for pain management, one in five women indicated misuse of their prescriptions.