Louisiana toolkit

Year after year, overdose has remained a leading cause of maternal mortality in Louisiana and across the United States, which suffers from the highest maternal mortality rate of any industrialized nation in the world. The maternal death rate in Louisiana exceeds the national average. In 2019, the maternal death rate ranked number 1 in the nation, seeing 58.1 deaths per 100,000 live births. This rate is higher than many underdeveloped countries in the world. In 2022, the state came in 47th out of 48 states for mortality rate, with four Black mothers dying for every one white mother. Suicides and overdoses continue to be the top two causes for nonpregnancy-related maternal death. Mental health conditions and suicide were attributed to 17%, and substance use was found to contribute to 37% of pregnancy-associated, but not related, deaths. 83% of these deaths were determined preventable - through better medical care, mental health care or substance- use treatment.

The Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative has partnered with MOMs+ to assess the current landscape for treatment and recovery of perinatal substance use disorders (SUDs) in Louisiana, and focus on helping birthing hospitals statewide provide access to treatment and recovery for this vulnerable population. MOMs+ is a Colorado founded program, but has expanded to support several Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s nationwide.

Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (lapQC)’s:

Safe Births: improving care for the Substance-exposed dyad (ISCED) Initiative

ICSED 2.0 and Plus are programs that seek to comprehensively address gaps in perinatal addiction care, creating a healthcare system that addresses the medical and social needs of birthing individuals and families affected by substance use. ICSED 2.0 will expand current ICSED work from 10 sites to the remaining participating birthing hospitals, establishing a strong foundation of care across the state. ICSED Plus will create durable protocols, materials and education which can be scaled to receptive hospitals in year one and to later adopters in future years. In addition, LaPQC will establish direct partnership with at least 3 leading hospitals that will undergo rigorous addiction care training and program expansion. This pilot will emphasize comprehensive and coordinated community approaches including peer services, treatment partnerships, and care navigation.

ICSED Naloxone Pilot TOOLKIT

Find ICSED Naloxone Pilot Project information and Louisiana-specific resources and care guidelines.

Inpatient and outpatient order sets, dosing considerations and Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Scale (SOWS) details.

MOMs+ Treatment protocols

Find educational handouts, facts and treatment, risks and prevention, marketing posters

moms+ Patient resources

MOMs+ Clinician resources

View training materials to support staff in caring for perinatal patients with SUD. Learn more about Naloxone take home kits and how to have successful conversations with moms.

Find physicians and treatment programs providing medications (methadone, buprenorphine, suboxone, vivitrol, antabuse, naltrexone, naloxone, narcan) for the treatment of opioid addiction in Louisiana.

Finding Treatment

— our mission –

TO HELP ALL birthing hospitals provide substance use disorder treatment and recovery services to perinatal patients through connection and community.

This resource has been developed by the MOMs+ interdisciplinary team based on published evidence and expert opinion. This material should not be reproduced or disseminated without prior permission from MOMs+ or Stader Opioid Consultants, LLC. 

This resource should never be used as a substitute for clinical judgment. Providers are responsible for assessing the unique circumstances and needs of each case. Adherence to this guideline will not ensure successful treatment in every situation. Developed in collaboration with Stader Opioid Consultants, LLC.