Limbic System Microstructure in Neonates With Antenatal Opioid Exposure

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Antenatal opioid exposure in the US increased by 3.6% from 2016 to 2020, with nearly 7% of women reporting opioid use during pregnancy.
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Opioids can cross the placenta and affect fetal brain development due to the presence of opioid receptors in the limbic system.
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Previous studies indicate that antenatal opioid exposure is linked to disrupted white matter microstructure in neonates.
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The OBOE study aims to compare brain microstructural organization in the limbic system of opioid-exposed and unexposed neonates.
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MRI data were collected using a validated neonatal protocol across four clinical sites, focusing on limbic system structures.

Jama Network Open

by María Guadalupe Mora Álvarez, Josepheen De Asis-Cruz, Kushal Kapse, Yao Wu, Stephanie L. Merhar, Carla M. Bann, Jamie E. Newman, Nicole Mack, Sara B. DeMauro, Namasivayam Ambalavanan, Scott A. Lorch, Deanne Wilson-Costello, Brenda B. Poindexter, Myriam Peralta-Carcelen, Jonathan M. Davis, Catherine Limperopoulos
July 2, 2026

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