Can Parenting Interventions Help Mothers with OUD and Their Babies?

Excerpt from Health City (healthycity.bmc.org) 

Includes research from Early Childhood Well-Being Institute Inauguaral Director, Dr. Ruth Paris

By Caitlin White

A new clinical trial will research how BRIGHT, a trauma-responsive, attachment-based therapeutic parenting intervention, helps mothers with addiction.

It’s 3 a.m. A newborn is fussing and crying, unable to communicate what they need. It’s a stressful time for any parent. But for a new mother who lives with opioid use disorder and is in treatment, it can cue overwhelming feelings associated with trauma and can trigger a desire to use substances. Add to it that newborns who have neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome can have a higher propensity to being fussy, it’s clear that the mother needs help for both their wellbeing and their child’s.

Yet, stigmatization, fear of having their children taken away by the Department of Children & Families, shame and guilt, and concerns about judgment from pediatricians and other providers have hindered many new moms with substance use disorder (SUD) from seeking that help.

Read the full article at: https://healthcity.bmc.org/population-health/can-parenting-interventions-help-mothers-opioid-addiction