Oxycodone

(Date: May 2022. Version: 3)

This factsheet has been written for members of the public by the UK Teratology Information Service (UKTIS). UKTIS is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on behalf of UK Health Departments. UKTIS has been providing scientific information to health care providers since 1983 on the effects that medicines, recreational drugs and chemicals may have on the developing baby during pregnancy.

What is it?

Oxycodone is a painkiller used to treat moderate or severe pain, including pain after an operation.

What are the benefits of taking oxycodone in pregnancy?

Oxycodone is a strong painkiller and sometimes works where other painkillers have not.

Pregnant women who take oxycodone should contact their GP or pain specialist as soon as possible. Their doctor will review whether oxycodone is still needed and ensure that the dose is correct. Pregnant women should not stop taking oxycodone or change the dose without speaking to a health care professional.

Are there any risks of taking oxycodone during pregnancy?

Studies of small numbers of women using oxycodone in early pregnancy do not show that it can cause miscarriage or birth defects in the baby. However, further research is ideally required to confirm this.

One large study found that oxycodone use in pregnancy was not linked to stillbirth or reduced growth of the baby in the womb. Around one in every 10 babies in this study who were exposed to oxycodone were born preterm (before 37 weeks), compared to around one in every 14 unexposed babies. However, it is unclear whether this is a direct effect of oxycodone or may be due to the underlying health conditions it is used to treat, increasing the chance of preterm labour or the need for induced early delivery.

Oxycodone used around the time of delivery can affect the baby after birth. The baby may be ‘jittery’, have feeding problems, and initially need some help with breathing. These problems usually settle within the first few days.

Are there any alternatives to taking oxycodone?

Possibly. Other medicines can be used to treat pain in pregnancy. However, if a doctor has offered oxycodone this will be based on several factors, including which painkillers have already been tried, the likelihood of a medical condition not being as well-controlled with another painkiller, and possible side effects if the medicine is changed. Women who have any questions about a medicine that they are offered in pregnancy should speak to their doctor or midwife.

What if I prefer not to take medicines during pregnancy?

Severe pain can greatly affect quality of life. It can cause difficulty sleeping and mental health problems. Doctors may suggest taking tramadol in pregnancy if they think that the benefits of controlling the woman’s pain outweigh any possible risks to the baby.

Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken oxycodone?

We would not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father takes oxycodone.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system allows women with a current or previous pregnancy to create a digitally secure ‘my bumps record’. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, and your pregnancy outcome. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit to register.

Will my baby need extra monitoring during pregnancy or after delivery?

Most women will be offered a scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy to look for birth defects as part of their routine antenatal care. Using oxycodone in pregnancy is not expected to cause problems that would require extra monitoring of your baby during pregnancy. However, women with some of the underlying conditions that oxycodone can be used to treat might be more closely monitored to ensure that their baby is growing and developing as expected. Women who use oxycodone recreationally might also receive extra monitoring.

Babies born to women who have taken oxycodone in late pregnancy might be closely monitored after birth to ensure that they are not experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken oxycodone?

We would not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father takes oxycodone.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system allows women with a current or previous pregnancy to create a digitally secure ‘my bumps record’. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, and your pregnancy outcome. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Login/ to register.

Feedback request 

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Do you have 3 minutes to complete a short, quick and simple 12 question user feedback form about our bumps information leaflets? To have your say on how we can improve our website and the information we provide please visit here.

General information 

Up to 1 out of every 5 pregnancies ends in a miscarriage, and 1 in 40 babies are born with a birth defect. These are referred to as the background population risks.  They describe the chance of these events happening for any pregnancy before taking factors such as the mother’s health during pregnancy, her lifestyle, medicines she takes and the genetic make up of her and the baby’s father into account.

Medicines use in pregnancy

Most medicines used by the mother will cross the placenta and reach the baby. Sometimes this may have beneficial effects for the baby.  There are, however, some medicines that can harm a baby’s normal development.  How a medicine affects a baby may depend on the stage of pregnancy when the medicine is taken. If you are on regular medication you should discuss these effects with your doctor/health care team before becoming pregnant.

If a new medicine is suggested for you during pregnancy, please ensure the doctor or health care professional treating you is aware of your pregnancy.

When deciding whether or not to use a medicine in pregnancy you need to weigh up how the medicine might improve your and/or your unborn baby’s health against any possible problems that the drug may cause. Our bumps leaflets are written to provide you with a summary of what is known about use of a specific medicine in pregnancy so that you can decide together with your health care provider what is best for you and your baby.   

Every pregnancy is unique. The decision to start, stop, continue or change a prescribed medicine before or during pregnancy should be made in consultation with your health care provider. It is very helpful if you can record all your medication taken in pregnancy in your hand held maternity records.

   

www.medicinesinpregnancy.org

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to replace the individual care and advice of your health care provider. New information is continually becoming available. Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that this information is accurate and up to date at the time of publication, we cannot cover every eventuality and the information providers cannot be held responsible for any adverse outcomes following decisions made on the basis of this information. We strongly advise that printouts should NOT be kept for any length of time, or for “future reference” as they can rapidly become out of date.

My bump’s record

Create your own ‘My bump’s record’.

Provide information about your pregnancy to help women in the future.

Login to my bumps

Join my bumps