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Substitution agonist treatments for opiate dependent pregnant women over assisted withdrawal
Summary of the evidence
Evidence-based international guidelines (WHO, 2014) strongly recommend to advise opioid dependent pregnant women to use substitution treatment rather than attempt opioid detoxification.
Evidence does not support detoxification as a recommended treatment intervention as a result of low detoxification completion rates, high rates of relapse, and limited data regarding the effect of detoxification on maternal and neonatal outcomes beyond delivery (Dashe et al, 2018).