Therapeutics Emerging Therapies
RRM Academy Synopsis
Low Dose Naltrexone Users Reported Comparable Pregnancy Outcomes
A survey of 237 successful pregnancies reported much the same outcomes whether or not the mother kept taking low dose naltrexone. Premature delivery was 6% among users and 7% among non-users. The 2019 conference report draws on an anonymous survey of 39 questions. Users and non-users were split about evenly.
Key Findings
- Premature delivery was reported in 6% of pregnancies on naltrexone and 7% of those not on it. In both groups 3% of babies were 5 lbs or under.
- Special care baby unit admission was 13% among naltrexone users and 18% among non-users, pregnancy complications 17% and 20%, and infant complications 12% and 14%.
- Three babies in the naltrexone group and two in the non-naltrexone group had a congenital anomaly, and both groups reported a healthy child in 100% of responses.
- Among women who stopped naltrexone before 25 weeks, 16% delivered early and 20% of babies went to special care, against no early deliveries and 6% for those continuing beyond 26 weeks.
- Maternal complications after delivery were 27% with early stopping and 13% with continuation, and none of the duration comparisons reached statistical significance.
Interpretation
The evidence is an anonymous survey of 39 questions, answered for 237 successful pregnancies. About half of the mothers took low dose naltrexone while pregnant. Nearly 80% of the women who opened the email replied, and 67% of the whole list replied. The groups are women who took the drug in pregnancy and women who did not, as the women themselves reported. The presenter notes that anonymity made it hard to match the groups on age, how long they had been infertile, and earlier pregnancies and treatment, and advises care in reading the figures. Larger numbers are needed before the duration trends can be confirmed.
RRM Context
Restorative reproductive medicine treats the root cause and works with the cycle. A drug that helps a woman's health before she conceives raises a real question about what happens when it stops. Little has been published on low dose naltrexone in pregnancy. The survey adds data from patients where little existed. The presenter also proposes more study of epigenetic effects in the next generation.
Abstract
Presentation examining the safety and potential benefits of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) use during pregnancy. Reports on a patient survey of 237 successful pregnancies comparing outcomes between LDN users and non-users. Addresses three key questions: safety of LDN in pregnancy, additional benefits to mother and baby, and optimal duration of treatment. Findings suggest LDN is safe during pregnancy with trends toward improved outcomes (reduced prematurity, fewer SCBU admissions, fewer complications) for those continuing LDN beyond 26 weeks, though results did not achieve statistical significance. Also discusses potential epigenetic benefits of LDN for reducing endometriosis expression in the next generation and possible reduction of autism risk through immune modification.
