Pediatric Collections: Opioid Addiction

The articles in this collection focus on the manifestations of the opioid epidemic in children and adolescents. Among the many highlights is a study by Patrick et al10 documenting an increase in the rate of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) from 6.0/1,000 births in 2009 to 10.7/1,000 births in 2011 among newborns enrolled in the Tennessee Medicaid program. In another study included in the collection, Miech et al11 found that legitimate use of prescription opioids before high school graduation was associated with a 33% increased risk of misuse subsequently. On a more positive note is a report by Veliz et al12 that suggests that daily participation in sports and exercise by adolescents may be protective against nonprescription opioid and heroin use.