Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Iuphar-Review: The Integration Of Classic Psychedelics Into Current Substance Use Disorder Treatment Models, David Yaden, Andrea Berghella, Peter Hendricks, Mary Yaden, Michael Levine, Julia Rohde, Sandeep Nayak, Matthew Johnson, Albert Garcia-Romeu

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have an enormous impact on public health. With classic psychedelic-assisted therapies showing initial promise in treating multiple SUDs, it is possible that these treatments will become legally available options for patients with SUDs in the future. This article highlights how classic psychedelic-assisted therapies might be integrated into current clinical practice. We first describe contemporary evidence-based treatments for SUDs and highlight how classic psychedelic-assisted therapies might fit within each treatment. We suggest that classic psychedelic-assisted therapies can be integrated into most mainstream evidence-based SUD treatments that are currently used in clinical settings, indicating broad compatibility of classic …

Harm Reduction In Undergraduate And Graduate Medical Education: A Systematic Scoping Review, Kelsey R. Smith, Nina K. Shah, Abby L. Adamczyk, Lara C. Weinstein, Erin L. Kelly

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Substance use increasingly contributes to early morbidity and mortality, which necessitates greater preparation of the healthcare workforce to mitigate its harm. The purpose of this systematic scoping review is to: 1) review published curricula on harm reduction for substance use implemented by undergraduate (UME) and graduate medical education (GME) in the United States and Canada, 2) develop a framework to describe a comprehensive approach to harm reduction medical education, and 3) propose additional content topics for future consideration.

METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, ERIC: Education Resources Information Center (Ovid), and MedEdPORTAL were searched. Studies included any English language curricula about harm …

Interprofessional Perspectives On School-Wide Mental Health Interventions For Enhancing Resilience In Adolescents, Danielle Costanzo, Ms, Otr/L

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Culminating Presentations

Introduction: There is a significant crisis in adolescent mental health (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2021; Radhakrishnan et al., 2022) that have been compounded by traumatic experiences experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022) and widespread fear of violence in schools (Silver et al., 2021). The crisis and resulting vulnerability has led to a dire need to focus on overcoming mental health challenges and moving forward in the face of adversity, which calls for a focus on resilience to promote overall life outcomes (Fenwick-Smith et al., 2019; Ijadi-Maghsoodi et al., 2022; Steiner et al., 2019). …

Six Week Chronic Pain Group's Impact On Relationship To Pain And Mental Health Symptoms, Samuel Sperling, Lcsw

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

Introduction

A study published in May of 2023 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that “new cases of chronic pain occur more often among U.S. adults than new cases of several other common conditions, including diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure”.

Given the increasing needs for behavioral health services within the primary care landscape and the workforce shortage, it’s imperative that we consider ways to address the growing gaps in care for patients, especially those suffering with chronic pain.

This six-week group explored the impact of pain interventions (e.g., Pain Reprocessing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychoeducation and Mindfulness) …

Neighborhood Disadvantage And Neural Correlates Of Threat And Reward Processing In Survivors Of Recent Trauma, E. Kate Webb, Timothy D. Ely, Grace E. Rowland, Lauren A.M. Lebois, Sanne J.H. Van Rooij, Steven E. Bruce, Tanja Jovanovic, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. Jones, Brittany E. Punches, Robert A. Swor, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Elizabeth M. Datner, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Paulina Sergot, Leon D. Sanchez, Ronald C. Kessler, Karestan C. Koenen, Samuel A. Mclean, Jennifer S. Stevens, Kerry J. Ressler, Nathaniel G. Harnett

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Differences in neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are important considerations in understanding differences in risk vs resilience in mental health. Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with alterations in the function and structure of threat neurocircuitry.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations of neighborhood disadvantage with white and gray matter and neural reactivity to positive and negative stimuli in the context of trauma exposure.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this cross-sectional study, survivors of trauma who completed sociodemographic and posttraumatic symptom assessments and neuroimaging were recruited as part of the Advancing Understanding of Recovery After Trauma (AURORA) study between September 2017 and June 2021. Data …

Cognitive Skills And Dna Methylation Are Correlating In Healthy And Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation, Bassam Abomoelak, Ray Prather, Samani U. Pragya, Samani C. Pragya, Neelam D. Mehta, Parvin Uddin, Pushya Veeramachaneni, Naina Mehta, Amanda Young, Saumya Kapoor, Devendra Mehta

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

The impact of different meditation protocols on human health is explored at the cognitive and cellular levels. Preksha Dhyana meditation has been observed to seemingly affect the cognitive performance, transcriptome, and methylome of healthy and novice participant practitioners. In this study, we performed correlation analyses to investigate the presence of any relationships in the changes in cognitive performance and DNA methylation in a group of college students practicing Preksha Dhyāna (N = 34). Nine factors of cognitive performance were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks postintervention timepoints in the participants. Statistically significant improvements were observed in six of the nine …

Evaluating Non-Pharmacological Approaches To Nursing Home Dementia Care: A Protocol, Natalie E Leland, Victoria Shier, Catherine V. Piersol, Cara Lekovitch, Jenny Martínez, Yuna H Bae-Shaaw, Neeraj Sood, Claire Day, Paul Cass, Dominique Como, Carin Wong, Felicia Chew

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the daily challenges nursing home (NH) staff face caring for the residents living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (

METHODS: This clustered randomized trial will compare

CONCLUSION: This trial will be the first-ever evaluation of team- and problem-based approaches to ADRD care across multiple NHs and geographic regions. Results can provide health system leaders and policymakers with evidence on how to optimize ADRD training for staff in an effort to enhance ADRD care delivery.

The End Of Roe V. Wade: Implications For Women's Mental Health And Care, Amalia Londoño Tobón, Eileen Mcnicholas, Camille A Clare, Luu D Ireland, Jennifer L Payne, Tiffany A Moore Simas, Rachel K Scott, Madeleine Becker, Nancy Byatt

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson in June 2022 reversed precedent which had previously protected abortion prior to fetal viability as a universal right within the United States. This decision almost immediately led to abortion restrictions across 25 states. The resulting lack of access to abortion care for millions of pregnant people will have profound physical and mental health consequences, the full effects of which will not be realized for years to come. Approximately 1 in 5 women access abortions in the U.S. each year. These women are diverse and represent all American groups. The Supreme court decision, …

New Psychoactive Substances Intoxications And Fatalities During The Covid-19 Epidemic, Alfredo Fabrizio Lo Faro, Diletta Berardinelli, Tommaso Cassano, Gregory Dendramis, Eva Montanari, Marche Polytechnic University, Paolo Beretta, Simona Zaami, Francesco Paolo Busardò, Marilyn Ann Huestis

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic in March 2020. Stringent measures decreased consumption of some drugs, moving the illicit market to alternative substances, such as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). A systematic literature search was performed, using scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and institutional and government websites, to identify reported intoxications and fatalities from NPS during the COVID-19 pandemic. The search terms were: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, coronavirus disease 2019, intox*, fatal*, new psychoactive substance, novel psychoactive …

Medication Initiation, Patient-Directed Discharges, And Hospital Readmissions Before And After Implementing Guidelines For Opioid Withdrawal Management, Jillian Zavodnick, Md, Nicolette M. Heinsinger, Angelo C. Lepore, Robert C. Sterling

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Rising rates of hospitalization for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) result in high rates of patient-directed discharge (PDD, also called "discharge against medical advice") and 30-day readmissions. Interdisciplinary addiction consult services are an emerging criterion standard to improve care for these patients, but these services are resource- and expertise-intensive. A set of withdrawal guidelines was developed to guide generalists in caring for patients with opioid withdrawal at a hospital without an addiction consult service.

METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed to determine PDD, 30-day readmission, and psychiatry consult rates for hospitalized patients with OUD during periods before (July …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Use Of Service Dogs In Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder And Traumatic Brain Injury, Jennifer Shiroff, Kathy Gray, Gabrielle Santulli, Stephen Didonato, Jacqueline O'Rourke Fulford

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Objective

This qualitative research was conducted to add to the body of knowledge that supports the benefits of service dogs (SDs), as a tertiary treatment modality, to veterans with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods

This grounded theory research design utilized open‐ended, semi‐structured interviews with veterans (n = 10) who were using SDs as a treatment modality for PTSD and/or TBI. Transcripts were analyzed using NVivo qualitative software until data saturation was achieved.

Results

Results from the data analysis identified 4 major themes with concurrent subthemes. The most prominent themes were functional status, impact of …

Molecular Insights And Clinical Outcomes Of Drugs Of Abuse Adulteration: New Trends And New Psychoactive Substances, Annagiulia Di Trana, Diletta Berardinelli, Eva Montanari, Paolo Berretta, Giuseppe Basile, Marilyn A. Huestis, Francesco Paolo Busardò

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

Adulteration is a well-known practice of drug manufacturers at different stages of drug production. The intentional addition of active ingredients to adulterate the primary drug may enhance or mask pharmacological effects or may produce more potent drugs to increase the number of available doses and the dealer's profit. Adulterants found in different drugs change over time in response to different factors. A systematic literature search in PubMed and Scopus databases and official international organizations' websites according to PRISMA guidelines was performed. A total of 724 studies were initially screened, with 145 articles from PubMed and 462 from Scopus excluded according …

The Association Between Food Insecurity And Physical Activity In Adults With Serious Mental Illness Living In Supportive Housing, Amy Taylor Cunningham, Lara Carson Weinstein, Ana Stefancic, Alexis Silverio, Leopoldo J. Cabassa

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Rates of food insecurity are high among adults with serious mental illness (SMI); this population also engages in less physical activity than the general population. However, the relationship between food insecurity and physical activity in this group has not been explored. We examined food insecurity prevalence and its association with physical activity in 314 adults with SMI living in supportive housing in New York City and Philadelphia and enrolled in an institutional review board-approved randomized controlled trial of a Peer Group Lifestyle Balance (PGLB) program. We analyzed 2014 baseline survey data, including demographic data and self-reported food security, and four …

Predicting At-Risk Opioid Use Three Months After Ed Visit For Trauma: Results From The Aurora Study, Brittany E. Punches, Uwe Stolz, Caroline E. Freiermuth, Rachel M. Ancona, Samuel A. Mclean, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Jennifer S. Stevens, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Tanja Jovanovic, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey Jr., Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. Jones, Michael C. Kurz, Nina T. Gentile, Meghan E. Mcgrath, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Erica Harris, Anna M. Chang, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Brian J. O'Neil, Leon D. Sanchez, Steven E. Bruce, Robert H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. Barch, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Jordan W. Smoller, Beatriz Luna, Steven E. Harte, James M. Elliott, Ronald C. Kessler, Kerry J. Ressler, Karestan C. Koenen, Michael S. Lyons

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Whether short-term, low-potency opioid prescriptions for acute pain lead to future at-risk opioid use remains controversial and inadequately characterized. Our objective was to measure the association between emergency department (ED) opioid analgesic exposure after a physical, trauma-related event and subsequent opioid use. We hypothesized ED opioid analgesic exposure is associated with subsequent at-risk opioid use.

METHODS: Participants were enrolled in AURORA, a prospective cohort study of adult patients in 29 U.S., urban EDs receiving care for a traumatic event. Exclusion criteria were hospital admission, persons reporting any non-medical opioid use (e.g., opioids without prescription or taking more than prescribed …

Ondansetron To Reduce Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Severity: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Gary Peltz, Lauren M. Jansson, Susan Adeniyi-Jones, Carol Cohane, David Drover, Steven Shafer, Meiyue Wang, Manhong Wu, Balaji Govindaswami, Priya Jegatheesan, Cynthia Argani, Salwa Kahn, Walter K. Kraft

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Objective
To determine if treatment with a 5-HT3 antagonist (ondansetron) reduces need for opioid therapy in infants at risk for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).

Study Design
A multicenter, randomized, placebo controlled, double blind clinical trial of ninety (90) infants. The intervention arms were intravenous ondansetron or placebo during labor followed by a daily dose of ondansetron or placebo in infants for five days.

Results
Twenty-two (49%) ondansetron-treated and 26 (63%) placebo-treated infants required pharmacologic treatment (p>0.05). The Finnegan score was lower in the ondansetron-treated group (4.6 vs. 5.6, p=0.02). A non-significant trend was noted for the duration of …

Filling Gaps And Setting Boundaries: Examining Utilization Of Health And Social Services At Jeffhope Student Run Clinics., Roy Wang, Amanda Guth, Alyssa Tate, Michele Ly, James D. Plumb Md, Mph

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The objective of this study was to describe the frequency that healthcare and social support services offered by JeffHOPE, a student run clinic for people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia, PA, were utilized by patients. This study also aimed to investigate where patients would seek medical care on a given day had they not been able to access JeffHOPE. This study was conducted via mixed methods consisting of retrospective chart review of patient encounter records and a patient survey conducted weekly throughout 2019, both at a single clinic site, and retrospective chart review of January through March 2020 records at 5 …

Suicide Assessment, Angelo Rannazzisi, Psyd

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

Agenda

● Risk & Protective Factors of Suicide

• Demographic, Diagnostic, Psychological Variables

● Suicide Risk Assessment

• C-SSRS (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale)
• BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory 2nd Edition)
• Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL)

● Creating a Safety Plan

Social Isolation: Impact On Physical And Mental Health, Alexa Waters, Md

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

Learning Objectives

• Review the impact of social isolation and loneliness on important aspects of health and well-being, with a focus on older adults
• Review risk and protective factors for social isolation and loneliness
• Discuss how the health care system and primary care physicians can better identify and address social isolation
• Briefly highlight interventions to enhance social connectedness and reduce loneliness

Outline

• Background
• Impacts of social isolation and loneliness on health and well-being
• Risk and protective factors for social isolation and loneliness
• Role of the health system and primary care in addressing social isolation and loneliness
• Cases throughout

Maternal Stress And Breastfeeding Intention In Pregnant Women With Opioid Use Disorder, Yassamin Jamshidian, Vanessa Short, Phd, Mph, Diane J. Abatemarco

Phase 1

Introduction: Breastfeeding rates are low among women in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Information on determinants of breastfeeding intention can help inform the design of breastfeeding promotion interventions for this population. The objective of the study was to examine associations between maternal characteristics, including stress, and breastfeeding intention among pregnant women in treatment for OUD.

Methods: Fifty-six pregnant women who were receiving treatment for OUD at Thomas Jefferson University’s Maternal Addiction Treatment Education & Research (MATER) program completed a survey, which included questions on demographics, psychosocial characteristics, breastfeeding history, and breastfeeding intention. Maternal stress was measured using the Perceived …

Mental Health And Wellbeing Of First Year Jefferson University Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Photo-Elicitation Study, Olusegun Bakare, Lyena Birkenstock, Morgan Bush, Lizzie Critchlow, Marisa Felsher, Cari Picciano, Alex Reibstein, Olivia Siciliano

Qualitative Research Methods - Presentations

Research Question

How do first year Thomas Jefferson University students perceive their mental health and wellbeing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Credible Practice Of Modeling And Simulation In Healthcare: Ten Rules From A Multidisciplinary Perspective, Ahmet Erdemir, Lealem Mulugeta, Joy P Ku, Andrew Drach, Marc Horner, Tina M Morrison, Grace C Y Peng, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, William W Lytton, Jerry G Myers

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The complexities of modern biomedicine are rapidly increasing. Thus, modeling and simulation have become increasingly important as a strategy to understand and predict the trajectory of pathophysiology, disease genesis, and disease spread in support of clinical and policy decisions. In such cases, inappropriate or ill-placed trust in the model and simulation outcomes may result in negative outcomes, and hence illustrate the need to formalize the execution and communication of modeling and simulation practices. Although verification and validation have been generally accepted as significant components of a model's credibility, they cannot be assumed to equate to a holistic credible practice, which …

Implementing Nudges For Suicide Prevention In Real-World Environments: Project Inspire Study Protocol, Molly Davis, Courtney Benjamin Wolk, Shari Jager-Hyman, Rinad S Beidas, Jami F Young, Jennifer A Mautone, Alison M Buttenheim, David S Mandell, Kevin G Volpp, Katherine Wislocki, Anne Futterer, Darby Marx, E L Dieckmeyer, Emily M Becker-Haimes

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

Background: Suicide is a global health issue. There are a number of evidence-based practices for suicide screening, assessment, and intervention that are not routinely deployed in usual care settings. The goal of this study is to develop and test implementation strategies to facilitate evidence-based suicide screening, assessment, and intervention in two settings where individuals at risk for suicide are especially likely to present: primary care and specialty mental health care. We will leverage methods from behavioral economics, which involves understanding the many factors that influence human decision making, to inform strategy development.

Methods: We will identify key mechanisms that limit …

We Was Somebody, Kyle Rodgers, Abigail Kay, Md

Phase 1

As the number of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Philadelphia increases, more healthcare professionals find themselves treating patients suffering from IV drug addictions. Unfortunately, many of these busy healthcare professionals have little education on the biochemistry of addiction and obstacles between people who inject drugs (PWID) and their recovery. We Was Somebody, a fictional play inspired by the stories of PWID in Kensington, Philadelphia, aims to promote understanding and empathy for the complexity of addiction and ultimately improve the quality of healthcare provided to the human beings affected by it.

The content of the play comes from peer-reviewed …

Basic Life Support And Opioid Overdose Management: Knowledge And Attitudes Among Students Matriculating Into Medical School - A Cross-Sectional Analysis To Inform Curricular Change, Nicholas Macdonald, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Md

Phase 1

Purpose: While Basic Life Support (BLS) skills are typically included in undergraduate medical education (UME) curricula, graduating students continue to demonstrate substandard skills retention. In the setting of the opioid epidemic, effective opioid overdose management (OOM) training should likewise take place during UME. To date, there is a paucity of literature that describes incoming medical students’ knowledge and attitudes on these topics prior to beginning their studies. The purpose of this study is to describe medical students’ knowledge and attitudes towards BLS and OOM prior to their medical training to inform curricular change in UME.

Methods: We conducted an observational, …

Training The Next Generation Of Family Medicine Providers Through Group Buprenorphine-Naloxone Visits, Krystina Callahan, Lara Weinstein, Md, Erica Li, Md, Sunny Lai, Md, Alexis Silverio

Phase 1

Introduction: The rise in opioid use disorders (OUD) and fatal overdoses highlight the need to expand access to and capacity for treating OUD. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), a medication/group visit model, done in the office setting, is an effective remedy for treating OUD. Understanding residents’ perspectives on their clinical training in MAT can inform the design of a more effective and responsive curriculum.

Methods: A qualitative study using group semi-structured interviews with residents in an urban family medicine residency rotating through a federally qualified health center. Interviews centered on strengths and weaknesses of the MAT program, resident likeliness to …

Understanding The Relationship Between Drug Overdose Death Rates And Socioeconomic Factors, William Duan, Dennis J. Hand

Phase 1

Drug-overdose deaths increased rapidly recently. What are the causes? We believe socioeconomical factors play critical roles. Secondary data analyses are done on the US population, using mortality-data files from the National Vital Statistics System. Deaths are grouped by race, age, sex, education and marital status. We believe that the percentage-of-total-death (PoTD) value, which equals to the number-of-overdose-deaths divided by the total-number-of-deaths in the corresponding group, more accurately reflect the severity of overdose-deaths. Analysis of 2017 data reveals that among all age groups, PoTD is highest in the age 25-34 group, with dramatic differences between white (PoTD 24%) and black (PoTD …

Effects Of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome On Long-Term Growth Parameters, Ayoung Kim, Anastasiya Latushko, Md, Zubair H. Aghai, Md

Phase 1

Introduction: Past studies have shown that babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) have lower weight, head circumference, and height at birth. This study aims to compare their growth at 9 and 18 months of age, and to compare growth parameter of NAS infants below 10th percentile to those above 10th percentile at birth.

Methods: In this retrospective review, 260 infants admitted to Jefferson Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between 2006 and 2018 were included. The weight, height, and head circumference at birth, 9 months, and 18 months were collected and correlated by Pearson correlation. The growth parameters of infants below …

Gut Microbiome Analysis In Morphine Exposure And Naltrexone-Induced Withdrawal, Nick Rapp, Sean O'Sullivan, James Schwaber

Phase 1

Introduction and Objectives: Relatively little is understood about the underlying physiological changes that occur in the withdrawal state of opiate users. Research on the effects of alcohol withdrawal on the Gut-brain axis (GBA) has revealed shifts in relative numbers of specific bacterial species that correlate with increased central nervous system (CNS) inflammation via neurological crosstalk. The purpose of this research was to determine if similar shifts in the relative abundance of bacterial populations occur in the opiate withdrawal state.

Methods: Fourteen rats were randomized into four groups. Control and experimental rats were administered 75 mg morphine pellets or placebo (sugar) …

The Effect Of Perceived Physician Opinion On Breastfeeding In Women With Opioid Use Disorder Who Are Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment, Lacey Murray, Meghan Gannon, Phd, Vanessa Short, Phd, Mph

Phase 1

Women who receive medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) are less likely to breastfeed than the general population despite the many possible benefits to the newborn. The ongoing study examines the effect of perceived physician opinion on the outcome of breastfeeding in women receiving MAT for OUD. Women who were receiving MAT for OUD at Thomas Jefferson University’s Family Center were given a survey during their third trimester (n=45), and at 1 month postpartum (n=33) to gather information on the perceived opinion of their physicians on how they should feed their baby and the importance of those opinions. …

Does Maternal Methadone Dose Correlate With Severity Of Intrauterine Growth Restriction In Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome?, D. Friedman, J. Smith, M. Lafferty, Z. H. Aghai

Phase 1

Introduction : Previous studies demonstrate a relationship between maternal opioid use during pregnancy and smaller head circumference of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). The goal of this study is to correlate maternal methadone dose and severity of growth restriction in infants with NAS admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of infants (≥35 weeks gestation) exposed to in utero methadone, born between August 2006 and May 2018, and admitted to a Philadelphia NICU for medical therapy for NAS. Growth parameters (birth weight, birth length, and birth head circumference) were compared between infants …