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Is naloxone safe during pregnancy?

Answered by MotherToBaby’s teratology specialists, quoted in full — including the questions most pages skip, like whether a father’s exposure matters.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the MotherToBaby fact sheet for naloxone (OTIS, published via the NIH) sourcesUpdated Jul 21, 2026How we research

The questions people actually ask about naloxone in pregnancy

Answered by MotherToBaby, the fact sheets written by the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists and published through the NIH. Quoted in full — we do not condense them.

I take naloxone. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?

Studies have not been done to see if taking naloxone can make it harder for to get pregnant.

Does taking naloxone increase the chance of miscarriage?

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. It is not known if naloxone can increase the chance of miscarriage.

Does taking naloxone increase the chance of birth defects?

Birth defects can happen in any pregnancy for different reasons. Out of all babies born each year, about 3 out of 100 (3%) will have a birth defect. Studies have not shown an increased chance of birth defects when taking naloxone. No studies have been done to see if treatment with naloxone for an opioid overdose in the first trimester can increase the chance of birth defects.

Some studies that have looked at opioids as a group suggest that opioids in general might be associated with an increased chance of birth defects. However, studies have not found a specific pattern of birth defects caused by opioids. Based on these studies, if there is an increased chance of birth defects with opioid use in pregnancy, it is likely to be small.

Does taking naloxone in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?

It is not known if taking naloxone can increase the chance of pregnancy-related problems. One study has shown that use of naloxone might increase the chance for pregnancy-related problems such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth). No studies have been done to see if treatment with naloxone for an opioid overdose can increase the chance of pregnancy-related problems.

Studies find that people who are pregnant and take opioids in higher doses or for longer than recommended by their healthcare providers (i.e. misuse or “abuse” opioids) have an increased chance for pregnancy problems. These include poor growth of the baby, stillbirth, preterm delivery, and the need for C-section.

Will my baby have withdrawal (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome) if I continue to take naloxone?

Taking naloxone in pregnancy can increase the chance of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in the infant after birth. NAS is the term used to describe withdrawal symptoms in newborns from opioid medication(s) that a person takes during pregnancy. NAS symptoms can include irritability, crying, sneezing, stuffy nose, poor sleep, extreme drowsiness (very tired), yawning, poor feeding, sweating, tremors, seizures, vomiting, and diarrhea. Most often, symptoms of NAS appear 2 days after birth and may last more than 2 weeks.

The chance that NAS will occur depends on the length of time and/or the dose of opioid taken during pregnancy, if other medications were also taken, if baby was born preterm, and/or size of the baby at birth. The chance of NAS is lower with naloxone then with other medications like methadone which are also used to treat OUD. If opioid medications were taken in pregnancy, it is important to let your baby’s healthcare providers know so that they can check for symptoms of NAS and provide the best care for your newborn.

Does taking naloxone in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?

Studies have not been done to see if naloxone can increase the chance of behavior or learning issues for the child. Some studies on opioids as a general group have found more problems with learning and behavior in children exposed to opioids for a long period of time during pregnancy. However, it is hard to know if this is due to the medication exposure or other factors that might increase the chances of these problems.

If a male takes naloxone, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?

Studies have not been done to see if naloxone could affect male fertility (ability to get partner pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase the risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/ .

Quoted from MotherToBaby Fact Sheets — Naloxone, published March 2024. MotherToBaby states its fact sheets should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare providers.

Breastfeeding is a separate question — what LactMed says about naloxone

This is general reference information, not medical advice. Whether to take any medication in pregnancy is a decision for you and your prescriber; do not start or stop a drug on your own, because an untreated condition can also carry risk.