Executive function in preschool children prenatally exposed to methadone or buprenorphine

Abstract

Although an increasing number of children are born with prenatal methadone or buprenorphine exposure, little is still known about the potential long-term effects of these opioids. The aim of this study was to investigate executive function (EF) in children of women in opioid maintenance therapy (OMT). A total of 66 children (aged 48–57 months) participated in the study, 35 of which had histories of prenatal methadone or buprenorphine exposure. EF was measured using a battery of neuropsychological tests and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function—Preschool Version (BRIEF-P). Results showed that children of women in OMT perform lower on tasks of short-term memory and inhibition compared to nonexposed children, which was mainly associated with lower maternal education and employment rate. The OMT group scored significantly lower on all EF tasks compared to the nonexposed group, although scores fell within the average range on all measures. The development of these children should be monitored to assess for the possible problem behaviors and to promote optimal outcomes.

Keywords:

• Prenatal exposure
• Cognitive development
• Executive function
• Methadone
• Buprenorphine
• Opioid maintenance therapy

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by grants from the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth, and Family Affairs (06/60525) for the authors and by a grant from the Norwegian Research Council (190425) for the first author.