American researchers warn of the possible long-term consequences of in utero exposure to opioids. Their study is based on the specific link that connects the brain to the intestinal microbiome.
- An experiment carried out on mice by American researchers reveals that taking opioids in utero can alter the metabolic system
- In the United States, opioid overdose deaths represent one of the greatest health crises of the 21st century
We know that the use of opioids in utero may affect the health of the mother. But these drugs prescribed to manage pain and / or anxiety during pregnancy would also have long-term consequences on the neurological development of the unborn child and which could manifest themselves until adulthood, warns a american study carried out by researchers from theUniversity of Missouri at Columbia (MU) in the United States.
Specifically, opioid consumption may affect the gut microbiome of the developing fetus. To reach these conclusions, the authors of the study collected feces from two groups of 120-day-old mice (including one exposed to oxycodone).
Gut-brain communication
The researchers identified significant changes and disruptions in the gut microbiome of mice exposed to oxycodone in utero. According to the study, these changes are linked to alterations in metabolic pathways, with potential consequences for long-term neurological and behavioral health.
“We are beginning to understand how changes in the gut microbiome can potentially impact a person’s mood and mental health in adulthood. This research helps us better understand the gut-brain axis, because there is a lot of communication between the brain and the gut.” says Trupti Joshi, an assistant professor at MU’s School of Medicine and co-author of the study.
Effects that can last into adulthood
“Opioids are increasingly being prescribed to pregnant women to treat pain. Yet when consumed, we learn that it is not only the mother who is exposed, but also the fetus, at a time when its organs are still developing.“warns Cheryl Rosenfeld, a professor at MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.”These results underscore the potential long-term effects on the health of offspring, not only at birth, but also into adulthood.“, she adds.
It must be said that the researcher relies on a personal case: her niece, now an adult, began to develop respiratory, cardiac and neurological disorders in adolescence when she was in perfect health throughout her childhood. The severity of her symptoms is such that at the age of only 30, she lives in a retirement home. In uterothe niece of Cheryl Rosenfeld would have been exposed to Quaaludes, a powerful sedative consumed in the 70s, which acts on the central nervous system to help manage anxiety.
