Overdose deaths among pregnant and postpartum women have tripled over the past three years, according to a new anaysis of official data.

The rate of overdoses shot up in women aged 35-44 from 4.9 per 100,000 in 2018 to 15.8 in 2021, data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed.

Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) analyzed data on more than 17,000 deaths, including women who were pregnant or had been pregnant in the last year.

Many factors are thought to be at play in the increase in overdose deaths, including social isolation due to the Covid pandemic and a reduction in prenatal and postpartum care in the US.

The rate of overdoses shot up in women aged 35-44 from 4.9 per 100,000 in 2018 to 15.8 in 2021, data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed

The above graph shows pregnancy-associated overdose deaths by year and type

The above graph shows the death rate from overdoses among pregnant women (dark green), and those who are early postpartum (orange) and late postpartum (blue)

Most of the pregnancy-associated overdose deaths involved opioids, largely fentanyl.

The majority also happened outside of healthcare facilities, suggesting that women need better support during and after pregnancy, particularly for those vulnerable to substance abuse.

The researchers also found a significant rise in overdose deaths among pregnant or postpartum Black women. 

Chelsea Shover, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, told The Washington Post: ‘For a lot of pregnant and postpartum people, disclosing drug use might result in your child being taken away, so there is a lot of stigma.’

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Pregnant women should be encouraged to seek treatment without fear of legal action, said Emily Einstein, NIDA Science Policy Branch Chief and study co-author.

‘Stigmatizing and penalizing women with substance use disorders makes it very hard for them to seek help for drug use and receive routine prenatal care. 

‘Effective treatments and medical services exist – unfettered access is needed to help mothers and children survive,’ she added.

Previous research has demonstrated that women are less likely to get an appointment at an addiction treatment center and find it difficult to get child care at treatment facilities.

Many states may also punish women for substance abuse through fines, loss of custody of their children and prison sentences.

Overall overdose rates rose steeply during the pandemic for similar reasons of isolation and reduced access to treatment. 

Figures show that nearly 10,000 Americans are still dying from drug overdoses every month.

An update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that in the year to February 2023, there were up to 109,940 drug overdose deaths, which the agency said was probably ‘an underestimate.’

That is the equivalent of 9,161 deaths per month, which experts warned was like a jet full of Americans crashing and burning almost every day.

Fentanyl was the main cause of death, behind about eight in ten cases. It was followed by methamphetamines, cocaine and prescription opioids. 

For more information on substance and mental health treatment programs in your area, call the free and confidential National Helpline(link is external) 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit www.FindTreatment.gov(link is external).