First Analysis of Newborns of Opiate- Addicted Mothers in Bucharest, Romania

A. O. Abagiu^1,2, M. Anghelescu², R. Ianos-Iancovici², B. Rusu², I.G. Stoica², F. Georgescu², F. Gheorghe², E. Cojocaru², A.M. Tudor¹, V. Leoveanu¹, A.S. Craciun³, M. Ceausu³, A. Koulosousas^2,3, A. Sirbu⁴. ¹National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Romania; ²Arena First Low-Threshold Methadone Maintenance Treatment Center, Romania; ³I. Cantacuzino Hospital, Romania; ⁴Bucharest University Hospital, Romania

Background: Since the opening of our center in June 2007, we have offered free services for injection drug users (IDUs) who are HIV-positive and for pregnant women and mothers with children up to 2 years old. We have had 17 newborns from our patients, and another 7 were born either in the I. Cantacuzino Hospital or Bucharest University Hospital maternity wards to heroin users who were referred to us after birth.

Methods: Our study was retrospective, analyzing pregnancy length and the weight, length, and birth score (Apgar) of the newborns.

Results: Fourteen (82%) of the mothers on substitution therapy were Roma. All the newborns from the heroin using mothers were small for their birth date, but only 11 (65%) from the mothers on methadone were small. All the mothers were smoking tobacco, with an average of 20 cigarettes per day, and almost half of them also were smoking marijuana. One-third were drinking one drink per day. The birth score was 9 or above in 76 percent of the “methadone” babies and 42 percent in the “heroin” babies. The withdrawal syndrome was usually mild and was reported in 76 percent of the “methadone” newborns but only in 28 percent of the “heroin” newborns. The mean methadone daily dose was 60 mg for the last trimester.

Discussion: The “methadone” newborns were overall in better health than the “heroin” newborns, with the exception of the withdrawal syndrome. It is difficult to individualize the effect of opiate addiction on the newborns, as the great majority of the mothers were poly drug users and we did not have a comparison. It is interesting that the underserved Roma population, with lower education, was more open to getting help during pregnancy than the white Caucasian women.