Substance Use Disorder
in Pregnancy
Summer 2025 Regional Trainings
During the summer of 2025, TIPQC traveled from the southwest tip of TN to the very northeast corner, sponsoring a regional series of simulation trainings on caring for some of the most at risk in our state. Led by Drs. Anna Morad, Jessica Young and Julia Wood, the training focused on treating pregnant women with substance use disorder, caring for infants with opioid exposure, and recognizing and referring pregnant and postpartum patients with mental health concerns.
Throughout the five training courses, TIPQC trained 97 individuals from 52 different organizations or hospitals throughout the state. Attendees were made up of nurses, students, doulas, perinatal educators, lactation consultants, and public health professionals. The impact of the sessions was clear: every attendee rated the training as either “good” or “excellent,” praising the instructors’ deep knowledge in their fields. One attendee shared “I liked that [the training] included mental health and the perspective of a psychiatrist and not just medical. I liked that it talked about all the spheres (health of mom, health of baby, and mental health). I liked the training materials provided with provider/pt facing resources.” Another reflected “this was a great and helpful training.” At each location, attendees discussed the unique challenges their region faces, such as access to mental health resources, best practices for drug testing, and provider reluctance to change. Attendees connected with the instructors on ways to combat these challenges and now have resources to take back to their home institution to improve care for all moms and babies in TN based on national best practices.
Community Food Resources
OB Care for Pregnant Women with SUD
In this video, Dr. Jessica Young discusses substance use disorder in pregnancy, the importance of building a therapeutic alliance, appropriate and respectful screening for substance use disorder in pregnancy and pregnancy management for patients with substance use disorder.
Care of the Newborn with Opioid Exposure
In this video, Dr. Anna Morad will provide information on better care practices, breastfeeding and early relational health for newborns with opioid exposure.
Maine’s Universal Postpartum Naloxone Project
In this video, Dr. Jay Naliboff discusses the universal postpartum Naloxone project in Maine at the 2025 TIPQC Annual Meeting.
Fighting Maternal Mortality: Overdose Prevention
In this video, Dr. Jessica Young discusses the role that overdose plays in maternal mortality, naloxone provision and harm reduction principles, SUD screening in pregnancy and relapse prevention.
Lived Experience Panel Interview
In this video, Dr. Jessica Young talks to two individuals with lived experience in order to gain more insight on the resources and support needed for patients with substance use disorder during pregnancy.
Medication Assisted Treatment: A Patient’s Journey to Recovery
This video is a discussion about how opioid use disorder (OUD) affected a patient’s life through pregnancy and how she was able to overcome opioid dependency with the help of medically assisted treatment (MAT). The discussion describes her path from using prescription opioids to opioid use disorder. The patient shares how MAT has impacted not only her life, but those around her, and the barriers she overcame to regain her wellbeing, as well as her family’s.
Postpartum Mental Health with Dr. Julia Wood
In this video, Dr. Julia Wood discusses suicide, suicide screening and disposition and treatment in postpartum mental health.
Trigger Warning: The following content includes discussions about mental health challenges and suicide, which may be triggering for some individuals. If you or someone you know is struggling, call 988.
Allied Health Support
Hospital support services can help support families and infants affected by opioids during the hospital stay. Child Life Specialists, Occupational Therapists and Lactation Consultants can teach skills and techniques to help calm the baby and support the parents caring for their Opioid Exposed Newborn.
Maternal Mental Health Screening with Dr. Julia Wood
In this video, Dr. Julia Woods discusses they why and how of maternal mental health screening, what systems have been proven to work, and how providers can help their patients today.
Intrapartum Pain Management
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is the umbrella term that encompasses varying levels of misuse. Dr. Raymond discusses the effects of OUD and strategies to address pain in women on chronic opioids.
Tennessee Safe Baby Courts
Director Tate discusses the innovations and collaboration of the TN courts in improving outcomes and supporting families with Opioid Use Disorder seeking to regain custody of their child/ren. Examples include implementing resources from the National Judicial Opioid Task Force, utilizing the TB Baby Courts where available, collaborative partnerships, and promising state programs responding to this epidemic.
Neonate with Opioid Exposure
The 4th Trimester and Postpartum Relapse
The 4th trimester is an important period in the cycle of pregnancy for the new mom and her infant. This video defines what the 4th trimester is and what practitioners can do to assist mothers with opioid use disorder during this often challenging time.
Care of the Opioid Exposed Newborn: A Panel Discussion
Various techniques for determining the level of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have been used over the last 20 years. Dr. Matt Grossman and Dr. Stephen Patrick discuss current trends in the care of the Opioid Exposed Newborn (OEN) and the varying methods to scoring, including the Eat, Sleep, and Console assessment approach and treatment options.
Eat, Sleep, Console Approach
Various techniques for determining the level of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have been used over the last 20 years. The presenter discusses current screening and treatment trends and how the Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) approach is used to potentially reduce the need for pharmacologic treatment and may reduce the length of stay in Opioid Exposed Newborns (OEN) and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)/Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) infants.