Reply: Comment on “Head Ultrasound Findings in Infants with Birth Weight >1,500 g and Gestational Age >32 Weeks Exposed to Prenatal Opioids”

We thank Kumar et al for their thoughtful review and for recognizing the importance of our work.[1] We appreciate your comments and the opportunity to respond to the points raised by Kumar et al.[2] Please find our detailed responses below, along with clarifications regarding the scope and the limitations of our study.

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 15. Mai 2025

Angenommen: 19. Mai 2025

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
19. Juni 2025

• References

• 1 Sakaria RP, Rana D, Harsono M, Cohen HL, Pourcyrous M. Head Ultrasound Findings in Infants with Birth Weight >1,500 g and Gestational Age >32 Weeks Exposed to Prenatal Opioids. Am J Perinatol 2025; (e-pub ahead of print).
• 2 Kumar S, Mehta R, Sah R. Comment on “Head Ultrasound Findings in Infants with Birth Weight > 1,500 g and Gestational Age > 32 Weeks Exposed to Prenatal Opioids.”. Am J Perinatol 2025; (e-pub ahead of print).
• 3 Hand IL, Shellhaas RA, Milla SS. Committee on Fetus and Newborn, Section on Neurology, Section on Radiology. Routine neuroimaging of the preterm brain. Pediatrics 2020; 146 (05) e2020029082
• 4 Liu AR, Gano D, Li Y, Diwakar M, Courtier JL, Zapala MA. Rate of head ultrasound abnormalities at one month in very premature and extremely premature infants with normal initial screening ultrasound. Pediatr Radiol 2022; 52 (06) 1150-1157
• 5 Boswinkel V, Krüse-Ruijter MF, Nijboer-Oosterveld J. et al. Incidence of brain lesions in moderate-late preterm infants assessed by cranial ultrasound and MRI: the BIMP-study. Eur J Radiol 2021; 136: 109500
• 6 Ballardini E, Tarocco A, Baldan A, Antoniazzi E, Garani G, Borgna-Pignatti C. Universal cranial ultrasound screening in preterm infants with gestational age 33-36 weeks. A retrospective analysis of 724 newborns. Pediatr Neurol 2014; 51 (06) 790-794
• 7 Bhat V, Karam M, Saslow J. et al. Utility of performing routine head ultrasounds in preterm infants with gestational age 30-34 weeks. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2012; 25 (02) 116-119
• 8 Ballardini E, Tarocco A, Rosignoli C, Baldan A, Borgna-Pignatti C, Garani G. Universal head ultrasound screening in full-term neonates: a retrospective analysis of 6771 infants. Pediatr Neurol 2017; 71: 14-17
• 9 Ackerman JP, Riggins T, Black MM. A review of the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure among school-aged children. Pediatrics 2010; 125 (03) 554-565
• 10 Compton WM, Valentino RJ, DuPont RL. Polysubstance use in the U.S. opioid crisis. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26 (01) 41-50
• 11 Jarlenski MP, Paul NC, Krans EE. Polysubstance use among pregnant women with opioid use disorder in the United States, 2007-2016. Obstet Gynecol 2020; 136 (03) 556-564
• 12 Jarlenski M, Krans EE. Co-occurring substance use disorders identified among delivery hospitalizations in the United States. J Addict Med 2021; 15 (06) 504-507
• 13 Qato DM, Zhang C, Gandhi AB, Simoni-Wastila L, Coleman-Cowger VH. Co-use of alcohol, tobacco, and licit and illicit controlled substances among pregnant and non-pregnant women in the United States: findings from 2006 to 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 206: 107729
• 14 Weber A, Miskle B, Lynch A, Arndt S, Acion L. Substance use in pregnancy: identifying stigma and improving care. Subst Abuse Rehabil 2021; 12: 105-121
• 15 Yeoh SL, Eastwood J, Wright IM. et al. Cognitive and motor outcomes of children with prenatal opioid exposure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2 (07) e197025
• 16 Behnke M, Smith VC. Committee on Substance Abuse, Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Prenatal substance abuse: short- and long-term effects on the exposed fetus. Pediatrics 2013; 131 (03) e1009-e1024
• 17 Volpe JJ. Brain injury in premature infants: a complex amalgam of destructive and developmental disturbances. Lancet Neurol 2009; 8 (01) 110-124