HealthDay (11/25, Murez) reported, “Researchers have found that nearly 3% of pregnancies in the United States were exposed to addictive opioid drugs,” according to results “from an analysis of data from 21,905 pregnant women in what’s dubbed the ECHO program (Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes).” The analysis “found opioid use in pregnancy was more prevalent in white individuals,” and use “was also more common in women with a history of depression and multiple substance use.” These resultswere published in the Journal of Women’s Health.

Related Links:

— “Nearly 3% of pregnancies in U.S. exposed to opioids “Cara Murez, HealthDay, November 25, 2022

NBC News (11/23, Wile) reported “critical shortages of the ADHD drug” amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall) “and the antibiotic amoxicillin have left families reeling as the medicines their loved ones need become harder to find.” The article added, “Drugmakers have offered little insight into the reasons for the shortages, other than to blame surging demand.” However, “according to experts, drug companies face few repercussions for not disclosing key information about the production of these medications,” and consequently, “U.S. consumers remain at the mercy of drug companies when it comes to learning the cause of the shortages or how and when they might be resolved.”

Related Links:

— “Adderall and amoxicillin shortages raise questions about transparency and accountability in Big Pharma “Rob Wile, NBC News, November 23, 2022

The American Journal of Managed Care (11/26, McNulty) reported, “The risk of experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) may be higher in women who give birth resulting from unintended pregnancies, according to a study published in Social Science & Medicine.” Furthermore, “while women who conceive via fertility treatments may not be at an increased risk, the type of treatment used to conceive may impact outcomes.” These “findings suggest that pregnancy intention, rather than fertility treatment use or type of fertility treatment, may have the greatest impact on PPD from among the variables considered in the study.”

Related Links:

— “Unintended Pregnancy May Increase Risk of Postpartum Depression, Study Finds “Rose McNulty, The American Journal of Managed Care, November 26, 2022

MedPage Today (11/23, DePeau-Wilson) reported, “Use of medications for” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “was not associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 19-study systematic review and meta-analysis published online Nov. 23 in JAMA Network Open. The researchers found that “among over 3 million people, there were no statistically significant associations between AD/HD medication use and any CVD risks among children and adolescents…young or middle-age adults…or older adults…over a median follow-up ranging from 0.25 to 9.5 years.”

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (11/22, Swain) reports, “Children who experienced adversity from age 0 to 15 years were at elevated risk for developing CVD in young adulthood compared with those who did not,” investigators concluded in findings published online in the European Heart Journal. For the study, investigators “analyzed 1,263,013 individuals born in Denmark between 1980 and 2001 who were not diagnosed with CVD or congenital heart disease before age 16 years,” then “stratified the cohort into five groups based on adversity experienced between birth and age 15 years.”

Related Links:

— “People with childhood adversity at elevated risk for CVD in young adulthood “Erik Swain, Healio, November 22, 2022