Enhanced Care for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorders

Lowell General Hospital offers enhanced care and services for pregnant women with opioid use disorders, as well as their babies that may have been exposed to opioids during pregnancy. 

We work with expectant moms to develop an individualized plan for recovery. We assist with referrals to medication-assisted treatment (also known as MOUD), peer-to-peer support, prenatal care, mental health care, and provide connections to community-based services to help women achieve and maintain recovery.

We also provide the opportunity for a prenatal consultation with a hospital-based pediatric care provider to discuss the impact on the newborn of opioid exposure, a condition known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). This condition occurs from exposure to both prescribed and illicit opioid use. For pregnant women, early diagnosis and treatment for opioid use disorder is key to help reduce the severity of symptoms of NAS.

After the infant is born, our team of highly trained experts will help families with education, support, and management of NAS. This comprehensive approach to treatment before, during and after pregnancy can help women with opioid use disorder have a healthier pregnancy and be better prepared to care for their newborn. 

“We meet moms where they are at, and support their recovery any way we can. These are moms who love their babies, have a lot of strengths, and we give them all the wraparound services they need to move in the direction they want for their families,” says RN Care Manager Kathy Mahoney. 

Resources and Education

Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) Clinics

Buprenorphine/subutex/suboxone:

• The Lowell General Hospital Bridge Clinic - Addiction Services
• CleanSlate™ Outpatient Addiction Medicine
• ColumnHealth - Lowell Clinic
• Lowell Community Health Center Addiction Treatment 

Methadone:

• Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center Opioid Use Disorder Program

Project SMART: Support Models for Addiction Related Treatment

Project SMART is a study that compares two models to support for obstetricians in treating pregnant and postpartum women who have an Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Project SMART works with obstetric providers so that women who are pregnant and have OUD can receive treatment for opioid use and prenatal care together.

Download the Project SMART brochure. 

Contact Us

For more information, call 978-942-2367.