what is the poetic network?
The POETIC (Perinatal Opioid Exposures, Trajectories, Insights and Concentrations) Research Network, is a pan-Canadian clinical research network based at the Women’s Health Research Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia. Formed in 2022, the goal of the POETIC Network is to better understand substance use exposures in pregnancy including neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), and associated outcomes for parents and babies. Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under the Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health (IIPH). The POETIC Network includes >40 clinical and scientific experts in perinatal substance use and exposures from across Canada, informed by a Patient Advisory Committee (PAC) comprised of people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to address effects of this crisis, and develop effective strategies to improve outcomes.
The POETIC Network was developed to improve knowledge about how to predict optimal outcomes for infants diagnosed with NOWS. The POETIC Networks is currently working on a feasibility and acceptability pilot study with a focus on four core factors; clinical, environmental/social, drug pharmacology, and genetic to address gaps in knowledge. From 2024 to 2027, the POETIC Network will establish foundational research infrastructure and generate critical feasibility data to direct future research for a larger longitudinal pan-Canadian cohort study that will provide a comprehensive understanding of OAT in the perinatal period and of NOWS, informing healthcare teams in Canada and internationally on how to tailor pharmacologic management of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in pregnancy.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to generate actionable insights and develop strategies that enhance the outcomes for infants and families affected by opioid use during pregnancy, ultimately guiding improved pharmacologic management and support systems.
OUR VISION
The POETIC Research Network envisions a future where every infant and family affected by opioid use during pregnancy receives evidence-based care that ensures the best possible health outcomes. By leading transformative research and fostering a collaborative, accessible, and inclusive environment, we aspire to set new standards in understanding and managing perinatal substance exposures, ultimately shaping a world where the challenges of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) are effectively addressed, and every family has the support and resources they need to achieve optimal health.
target population
The POETIC network is developed for infants experiencing NOWS and for their families. The POETIC Network works with pregnant people who had substance use exposures during pregnancy and receive or plan to initiate Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) in their current pregnancy to better understand the outcomes of NOWS for infants.
Our work is made possible thanks to our partners: CIHR-IIPH, Maternal Child Infant & Youth Research Network (MICYRN), BCCHR, WHRI, UBC, CHILD-BRIGHT Network, Canadian Pediatric Society, Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse, TELUS, and the BC Women’s Foundation.