Among infants exposed to prenatal opioids, lower gestational age at birth correlates with which risk of neonatal withdrawal?

• A. Decreased
• B. Increased
• C. Similar
• D. Unknown

Answer: (A)

The question centers on how the duration of opioid exposure in the womb, reflected by gestational age at birth, affects neonatal withdrawal risk. If birth occurs earlier, the fetus has had less time to be exposed to opioids and to develop withdrawal physiology. As a result, preterm (lower gestational age) infants are less likely to show the full spectrum of withdrawal symptoms or require pharmacologic treatment compared with term infants who have had longer exposure. In other words, shorter in-utero exposure typically translates to a decreased likelihood and severity of neonatal withdrawal.