1. The Effects of Methadone Maintenance Therapy
on the Health of Pregnant Women
Addicted to Opioid Drugs and Their Infants
By: Nicole Halasan, Central Jersey Family Health Consortium
Purpose
• To educate nurses about promoting
women’s health services for pregnant
women with opioid addictions and their
newborns.
• This project focuses on using Methadone
Maintenance Therapy (MMT) programs
in the Central Jersey area.
Methodology
• Data is being collected through the
literature provided by the Central Jersey
Family Health Consortium.
Evaluation
• Nurses in the Central Jersey area will be
sent a survey three months later after
studying the module.
• Nurses will be questioned on concepts
from the module and whether these
concepts were applied in the hospitals.
Significance
• Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is
a set of complications that occur in
newborns that are exposed to addictive
opiate drugs while in the womb.
• MMT does not cause NAS.
• Since the 1970s, MMT has been the gold
standard for pregnant women addicted to
opioids and is starting to become the
standard care for infants born with NAS.
• Breastfeeding decreases NAS
symptoms.
• Women in the MMT program are less
likely to abuse other illicit drugs leading
to healthier pregnancy outcomes.
Works cited:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IroZ8aA85YZd_jCU3jdSQoCyv9Fs6MiQf
1eaXOQpEJw/edit
Outcomes
• This data will then be presented as a
learning module for a continuing
education module called “Methadone a
Self-Study Module Developed for
Healthcare Professionals” at the Central
Jersey Family Health Consortium.
Acknowledgements
• I would like to thank my preceptor Ellen
Shuzman (PhD, RNC-OB, APN), Ann
Marie Hill, and the Central Jersey Family
Health Consortium for their help and
guidance throughout this whole process.
Prescribe appropriate
methadone dosage
Block Withdrawal
Prevent Illicit Drug Use
Decrease Likeliness of
NAS and Other Diseases
Increase Mother and Child
Bonding
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
StrengthofOpioidEffect
Dosage
Opioid Effects Are Dependent on
Dosage Amount
Full Agonist
(Methadone)
Partial Agonist
(Buprenorphine)
Antagonist
(Naloxone)
MMT Program Effects