The rate of opioid use in pregnancy more than doubled over the past decade, a new Oregon Health & Science University study using California hospital data found.

Why it matters: Researchers warn the sharp rise puts both mothers and babies at risk — increasing the chance for negative complications such as hypertension, respiratory distress, preterm birth, infant withdrawal syndrome and death.

• The data, collected between 2008 and 2020, likely underestimates today's danger as the opioid crisis has since worsened in many parts across the country.
• "The real situation is more dire and more severe," Jaime Lo, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at OHSU and the study's lead author, told Axios.

What they did: Hoping to better understand the prevalence of opioid use in pregnancy and its potential health outcomes, researchers analyzed hospital data encompassing more than 5.5 million patients in California over the course of 12 years.

• Lo said her team zeroed in on the state due to its diverse age, racial and ethnic demographic makeup, which makes the study's findings "more representative" of the broader U.S. population.

By the numbers: OHSU's analysis found the prevalence of an opioid-related diagnosis in pregnancy rose from 0.14% in 2008 to 0.33% in 2020 — from roughly 700 patients to nearly 1,200, respectively.

State of play: Lo said outcomes for pregnant patients with opioid use disorder and babies remain poor because of the lack of widespread multidisciplinary care — like medication-assisted treatment, mental health support and coordinated obstetric and pediatric services.

• Provider stigma, referral barriers and a shortage of clinicians trained in both addiction medicine and pregnancy care mean patients can often fall through the cracks, she added.

The bottom line: Rising rates aren't irreversible. Outcomes can improve when medical systems invest in perinatal addiction programs, like Washington University in St. Louis, University of Utah and Oregon Perinatal Collaborative, Lo said.

• "That's how we can really turn this conversation around and start to see some of those numbers that are rising turn the other way."

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Despite their loss to the Knicks on Sunday, the Blazers have been on a heater of late.

The big picture: The team has won seven of its last nine games, including wins over the Celtics, Spurs and Houston Rockets twice.

• Sunday also marked the first game back for guard Jrue Holiday, who injured his calf in November.

Yes, but: Deni Avdija, the team's best player, left the game a few minutes early with a back injury that could prove costly if he misses extended time.

What's next: The Blazers are in San Francisco tonight to face the Golden State Warriors, a team they've already beat all three times they've played this season.

• The game tips at 8pm with coverage on NBC/Peacock.

The man shot by a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent in East Portland has been charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer, per the Oregonian.

Why it matters: The shooting of Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras in the parking lot of a health facility in East Portland has roiled the city, sparking protests over the weekend and condemnation of heavy-handed immigration enforcement.

The latest: Nino-Moncada was expected to appear in federal court Monday afternoon on charges of aggravated assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and damaging federal property in excess of $1,000.

• Nino-Moncada was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center Sunday after he was released from OHSU where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the arm, the Oregonian reported.
• Zambrano-Contreras was hospitalized at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the chest but was transported to a an ICE processing facility in Tacoma Washington where she faces charges of entering the country illegally, per OPB.

Zoom in: Federal officials said they were targeting the pair on Thursday when they approached their vehicle at an Adventist Health office building in the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street.

• Witnesses told the Oregonian they saw agents pound on the window of a red Toyota Tacoma before the vehicle reversed and hit another car behind it repeatedly before fleeing the parking lot.
• The witness heard several gunshots as the truck sped away and federal officials said the pair "attempted to run over the law enforcement agents."

Keep reading

🌡️ Portland's unusually warm winter is set to continue as the forecast for the next few days calls for above-normal temperatures, which could be a problem for the state's below-normal snowpack. (The Oregonian)

A cyberattack on the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's servers nine months ago exposed the personal information of roughly 4,800 members of the public, yet the agency failed to inform the public about the scope of the leak. (OPB)

🎤 Portland comedian Ally J Ward is set to film her first hour-long standup special at Revolution Hall's Show Bar this Saturday. (KOIN)

🐐 Habitat for Humanity plans to build 50 units of affordable housing at the former site of the Belmont Goats and will begin construction this spring. (Portland Business Journal)

Cancer signs of Oregon, you are among friends!

There are more Cancers in Oregon than any other astrological sign, per a new Washington Post analysis of voter data.

Cancer is the crab of the zodiac, "ruled by the emotional Moon," per the Farmer's Almanac.

• They're protective, family focused and averse to confrontation, preferring to deftly side-step.
• Portland's passive-aggressive reputation preceded us, didn't it.

Today's horoscope tells Cancers to mix it up and look for "a change that will boost your energy high and help you reach for goals and connections that you've been striving for in the past," according to Zodiacsigns.com,

• "Mind your own business and think about the future."