Dartmouth to study opioid treatment for pregnant women

HANOVER, N.H. – A research team at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine is getting $5.3 million to study medication-assisted treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorders.

Officials say combining medication with psychosocial services has been shown to significantly reduce poor outcomes for babies born to mothers with opioid use disorders, but it can be difficult for women to find providers. In northern New England, 5 to 8 per cent of newborns have mothers with such disorders.

The team will compare whether integrated care models, where women receive both maternity care and addiction treatment in the same practice, are more effective than providing such treatment in different locations.

The five-year award comes from the Patient-Center Outcomes Research Institute.