State launches program targeting opioid overdose deaths in pregnant women

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - State health officials say opioid overdose has been the leading cause of death in expectant mothers since 2018, and a new program aims to reduce those deaths by 80% over the next three years.

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) launched Project Maternal Overdose Mortality Project, or Project M.O.M., to work directly with hospitals across the state to address the issue.

Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women is one of 11 hospitals in the state partnering with LDH on the initiative.

Dr. Gerald Bryant, chief nursing officer for Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, said the problem extends beyond Louisiana.

“It is the number one cause of maternal mortality across the United States. It’s not just Southwest Louisiana. It’s not just Louisiana, it’s across the nation,” Bryant said.

Bryant said newborns of drug-addicted mothers can face serious health consequences.

“Long-term health problems as well, especially as relates to their cognitive abilities and things of that nature. They often end up low birth weight babies and end up in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for a period of time,” Bryant said.

The program is also designed to reduce the stigma of opioid addiction and improve patient engagement and retention, according to LDH.

Carrie Templeton, director for Project M.O.M., said pregnant women face compounding barriers to seeking treatment.

“For a pregnant mom, you add the stigma of substance use plus being pregnant on top of it and it is just a double hurt, a double barrier, so we are gonna again...we partner with our hospitals to make sure everyone in the hospital knows how to be open to women,” Templeton said.

Templeton said measuring the program’s reach will be a priority once it gets underway.

“What we’re going to be measuring once we get started is how many women are we able to help. You know, that’s number one because as I mentioned before, we know the percentages of women that have substance use but the actual number of women we are able to help is going to be really important,” Templeton said.

For more information, visit LDH’s website.