The methadone-maintained pregnancy

Of the available therapeutic options For the management of opiate dependenc y during pregnancy methadone maintenance, in the context of a program of co mprehensive care, best facilitates the provision of medical, psychiatric, a nd obstetric care, as well as needed concrete services to the pregnant hero ine addict. In addition, following heroin dependency, methadone normalizes the intrauterine milieu, promotes fetal stability and optimizes fetal growt h. A 30-year clinical experience has shown methadone maintenance to be an i nvaluable and often essential ingredient of programs that aim to promote an optimal outcome for opiate-complicated pregnancies, and more generally, to improve the lives of opiate-addicted women.