Study calls for more research into effects of opioids during pregnancy
Based on the results of her and her team's most recent study, she said there is an 'urgent need for greater knowledge of how exposure to substances such as fentanyl, heroin, and a multitude of prescription painkillers in the womb impacts the health and development of children.'
Dr Marryat said studies suggest roughly 1 in 100 children in Scotland are affected by opioid use in pregnancy. That is approximately the same rate as the Scottish children who have autism, according to NHS data.
Crucially, however, there is a lack of scientific research into children who were exposed to opioids in the womb. As a result, little is known about the direct links between specific cognitive and physical symptoms in early childhood and exposure.
Dr Marryat has said that better studies of children's environments and development can provide clearer answers, helping to make medicine more efficient and supporting children during their development.
However, she said more information is needed to do that, and this means better access to and understanding of vulnerable children and families.
'We need to provide healthcare providers, government, and parents with the information that is needed to ensure that countless numbers of children receive the information and support they deserve.'
Dy Marryat and the Dundee team's study analysed 478 papers dealing with exposure to opioids in the womb and resulting childhood impacts. As an umbrella study, the goal was to combine existing data to identify potential links between opioid use during pregnancy and developmental difficulties in children.
Dr Louise Marryat, an expert in infant health at the University's School of Health Sciences has suggested that battling the stigma around opioid use could lead to better medical care for affected children. (Image: Creative Services EJA)
The team found potential links to specific physical impairments in visual development and motor skills, and also that children exposed to opioids in the womb were at increased risk of behavioural problems and language difficulties.
But Dr Marryat said the fundamental importance of her team's findings may be in the gaps they uncovered. The umbrella study focused on children from birth until preschool age.
In the report's findings, the team argued that longer-term studies of affected children are the only reliable evidence for informing medical practice and government policy.
Read more
Without larger sample sizes and access to children as they continue to develop later in their lives, she said, it can be impossible to know for sure whether the linked difficulties are a direct result of opioid exposure or a combination of other complex environmental factors.
"If you're having behavioural difficulties with children, we do not know if that's because they have been exposed to opioids in pregnancy which has made changes in the way their brain has developed, or whether it is because of the environment that they are living in and what has happened to them since birth.
'It might be in part that it's just a bit too early to measure some of these signs.'
Closing these gaps can mean better protection for pregnant mothers and their children and better interventions for exposed children later in life. One reason more research on the effects of opioids during pregnancy can prove beneficial is that a majority of mothers who use these substances while pregnant are using prescription drugs, such as methadone.
She said a better understanding of the long-term impacts can allow healthcare providers to make better-informed decisions about how to support pregnant mothers.
'Women who use opioids in pregnancy overwhelmingly want the best for their child. During pregnancy, the focus for mothers is very much on having a healthy baby. These are fundamental and understandable concerns but focus less on the long-term outcomes of the child, even when exposed to opioids.'
However, Dr Maryatt said that researchers and healthcare providers need families to feel comfortable coming forward and engaging with the system in order to close these gaps.
However, she said this brings its own challenges.
"I think we have really good universal services. We have a really strong tradition of health visiting, but I think it's really under-resourced.
'For these families impacted by opioid use, it can be particularly tricky to engage in services. First, because they are often stigmatised by the services that are meant to help them, and the parents who have used drugs have experienced lots of stigma.
'Many fear that their children may be removed from their care. There needs to be appropriate pathways providing services that work alongside parents to fully support children and families in challenges they might face, but that is not easy when many services are already stretched.
'We need to be in a position to give people the information that they need to make decisions for themselves, to make informed decisions, but also to make sure that we do not increase the stigma as well around substance use.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
UK Pharmaceutical industry at risk from government's 'sky-high' rebates system
The UK's status as a leader in medical research is at risk from 'sky-high and unpredictable' repayments pharmaceutical firms hand the Government, says an industry boss. Richard Torbett, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the rebate system – where firms repay money they make through selling medicines to the NHS – was sending 'a terrible message to international investors'. Rachel Reeves promised to support 'the UK's strengths in life sciences' and 'ensure patients get rapid access to the most clinically and cost-effective new technologies'. The Treasury plans to invest up to £520million in drug manufacturing in the next five years. Another £600million is earmarked for a health data research service to accelerate the discovery of new medicines. But Torbett said more was needed. 'Over the past decade, accounting for inflation, the NHS budget has grown by a third in real terms, while investment in the most rigorously cost-benefit-tested part of health spending – investment in the medicines needed to treat people – has fallen from around 11 per cent to 9 per cent of the health budget,' he added. And he attacked plans to increase what drug companies must repay from drug sales to 31.3 per cent, from 15.5 per cent. 'The sky-high and unpredictable payment rates send a terrible message to international investors when the UK is trying to position life sciences research and development as an engine for health and growth. For the sake of patients, the NHS and the economy, we need a commitment to bring these unsustainable rates down.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Government can hit NHS waiting times targets despite scepticism, says Reeves
The Chancellor has insisted the Government can hit its NHS waiting times targets despite scepticism from some leaders. Speaking after her spending review, Rachel Reeves said the Government was confident it could hit pledges set down by the Prime Minister last year. Sir Keir Starmer said in December the NHS will carry out 92% of routine operations within 18 weeks by March 2029. However, in March this year, the NHS waiting list for hospital treatment in England rose for the first time in seven months. The Times has also reported that internal Department of Health modelling shows the NHS is on course to hit only about 80% by the end of the parliament, with officials suggesting anything above that is overly optimistic. Asked about the pledge on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Reeves told reporters: 'We've already delivered around three-and-a-half million additional appointments since we came to office last July. 'Waiting lists are already down by 200,000 so we are confident that we can meet our plan for change commitments because of the 3% annual increase in funding for the National Health Service. 'On top of that of course, we're investing in capital spending in the NHS, including in more scanners, but also investment in the NHS digital app to make it easier for patients to access information, to book services, to take some of the costs out of the bureaucracy, as well in running our health service.' Earlier, the 3% increase in real terms for the health service per year in the spending review was welcomed by health leaders but there were warnings it is not enough. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents all health organisations, said the NHS funding boost was welcome, 'given the precarious state of public finances and will help the NHS to cope with rising demand from an aging population, often with multiple or more complex physical and mental health conditions'. But he warned 'difficult decisions will still need to be made as this additional £29 billion won't be enough to cover the increasing cost of new treatments, with staff pay likely to account for a large proportion of it'. He added: 'So, on its own, this won't guarantee that waiting time targets are met.' Mr Taylor said NHS leaders will need continued backing from the Government to redesign services and balance budgets. 'That means getting political backing when some services are redesigned or cut, including moving hospital services into the community and closer to people's homes as part of the Government's three shifts,' he said. He added that the 'flat settlement' from the Chancellor 'continues to leave a major shortfall in capital funding, and it also fails to lift the ban on private investment that is required to boost NHS capital funding'. There is currently an almost £14 billion maintenance backlog bill to repair NHS hospitals and buildings. Mr Taylor said those issues needed to be addressed in the upcoming national infrastructure strategy and 10-year plan for the health service. Government documents accompanying the spending review show that, on average, from 2023-24 to 2028-29, the NHS in England will receive 3% real terms growth in day-to-day spending, equivalent to a £29 billion real terms increase in annual budgets. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) budget will increase by £2.3 billion in real terms by 2029-30, compared with 2023-24, 'representing a more than 20% real terms increase by the end of the spending review period', the documents said. Overall, the figures suggest DHSC spending will rise 2.8%, though this is less than the average 3.6% in recent years. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King's Fund charity, said the 2.8% average increase in DHSC spending – or 3% for day-to-day NHS spending – 'will have been hard-fought for in the spending round negotiations, despite still being lower than the historical average the NHS has received over recent years'. She added: 'We know there are already trade-offs happening in the NHS due to tight finances. 'The Chancellor said she wants the public to have an NHS there when they need it. 'It is hard to see how all the things she mentions: faster ambulance times; more GP appointments; and adequate mental health services and more; can be met on this settlement alone. 'Particularly when large parts of this additional funding will be absorbed by existing rising costs, such as the higher cost of medicines, which are currently being negotiated, and covering staff pay deals.' According to spending review documents, the Government expects the NHS to deliver 2% productivity growth each year, 'unlocking £17 billion savings over three years' to reinvest back into the NHS to improve patient care. The Government will also invest up to £10 billion in NHS technology and digital transformation by 2028‑29, the documents showed. NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey, speaking at the NHS ConfedExpo conference in Manchester, said the NHS has done 'really well relative to other parts of the public service'. He added: 'But we all know it's never enough because of the scale of advancement, all the ambition, all things we want to do, the day-to-day cost pressures we're trying to get on top of, etc. 'We're always going to be in a world where we want more money, but I think everyone's starting to accept and understand that we've got what the country can afford to give us. 'We really need to get better value for that money – it is broadly the equivalent of the GDP of Portugal, so it's a huge amount of money by any standards.' NHS England has already budgeted a 2.8% increase in pay for staff in 2025-26, but many leaders the King's Fund spoke to were worried about funding pay rises above this amount. After the spending review, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary, Professor Nicola Ranger, said staff will now decide whether the 3.6% pay rise offered by the Government is enough. She added: 'Against a backdrop of other cuts, nursing staff will see the NHS being protected but not transformed by today's spending plans. 'When the Government lays out its vision for the future of the NHS and its workforce, it must say how it intends to reverse collapsing student recruitment, boost retention and deliver urgent, structural reform to nursing pay.' Nuffield Trust senior policy analyst, Sally Gainsbury, said: 'Compared to the settlements for other departments – from policing to education – the NHS deal looks generous. 'But seen in the context of all the promises made by the Government to the British people – to drive down waiting lists, shift care closer to home, rapidly improve tech – and the commitments to meet staff pay demands and rising costs of new drugs, today's settlement soon melts away. 'With capital funding staying flat in real terms for the rest of the spending review period, it will be difficult for the NHS to invest in the technology and facility upgrades it needs to meet the Government's ambitious productivity targets.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
NHS should ‘tear up the outpatient model'
Around 130,000,000 outpatient appointments – procedures or appointments which take place in hospitals or clinics but do not require an overnight stay – take place in the NHS in England every year. The majority of people on the NHS waiting list are waiting for outpatient appointments. An estimated 7.42 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of March, relating to 6.25 million patients, according to official figures. The latest performance figures for the NHS in England are due to be published on Thursday. Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, told the NHS ConfedExpo conference that the service should take 'big leaps' such as 'tearing up the outpatient model' and 'tearing up the frustrations about technology' and 'tearing up the multiple touch points for patients when it should be one'. And Dr Penny Dash, chairwoman of NHS England, told delegates: 'There are seven and a half million people on the waiting list, half of them waiting more than 18 weeks, and the majority of those people waiting for an outpatient appointment. 'Surely we can fix outpatients to help bring down the waiting list.' Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 'Outpatient services should and could be transformed with most checks and follow-ups done in neighbourhoods or remotely.' Meanwhile, Sir Jim said the NHS has 'lost its way' on quality of care, as he told delegates that the forthcoming 10-year plan for health, which is to be published in July, will 'focus on quality'. 'Neighbourhood care – I think that part of the plan is still a really big standout for me,' he said. 'The focus on quality, I think it's really welcome – we have lost our way a little bit on quality coming out of Covid, and again, looking at quality in the round and not just safety.' But he said that the NHS would move on from the 'over-prescription centrally' and the 'labyrinthine approval processes' to give local health leaders more freedom. Dr Dash added: 'We do need to have a comprehensive strategy for quality. 'We've had a big focus on safety, rightly, over the last 10 years, but that has been a bit at the expense of patient experience and also effectiveness. We need to regroup, set out that strategy.'
