Child Maltreatment, Perceived Stress, and Opioid Use in Pregnancy

The current study examined pathways from childhood trauma to opioid misuse in pregnancy. We sampled 93 pregnant women at a high-risk pregnancy clinic at a university medical center who were at least in their second trimester. 55 women were considered high-risk due to opioid misuse and 38 women were considered high-risk due to medical reasons other than drug use. Results revealed sexual abuse significantly predicted opioid misuse in pregnancy, while physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect did not. Women with histories of childhood sexual abuse reported significantly higher levels of perceived stress during pregnancy than women who did not report a history of sexual abuse. Perceived stress did not moderate the relationship between sexual abuse and opioid misuse. Results are discussed with regard to implications for preventative care, integration of behavioral and neonatal care and public policy.