title: Prenatal methamphetamine exposure and short-term maternal and infant medical outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine maternal and infant medical outcomes of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine (MA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and twelve mother-infant pairs (204 MA-exposed and 208 unexposed matched comparisons) were enrolled in the Infant Development, Environment and Lifestyle (IDEAL) study. Exposure was determined by maternal self-report during this pregnancy and/or positive meconium toxicology. Maternal interviews assessed prenatal drug use, pregnancy course, and sociodemographic information. Medical chart reviews provided medical history, obstetric complications, infant outcomes, and discharge placement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MA-using mothers were more likely to be poor, to have a psychiatric disorder/emotional illness and less prenatal care, and to be less likely to breast-feed their infant than comparison mothers. After adjusting for covariates, MA-exposed infants were more likely to exhibit poor suck, to have smaller head circumferences and length, to require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and to be referred to child protective services (CPS). Several outcomes previously reported from studies that lacked adequate control groups or adjustment for covariates were not significantly different in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal MA exposure is associated with maternal psychiatric disorder/emotional illness, poor suck, NICU admission, and CPS involvement, and MA-exposed infants were less likely to be breast-fed; however, the absence of many serious complications, such as fetal distress, chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, and cardiac defects, suggests confounding variables influenced prior studies.
authors.affiliation: Blank Hospital Regional Child Protection Center, Iowa Health, Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Rizwan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Sabrina D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arria
authors.forename: Linda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: LaGasse
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Derauf
authors.forename: Elana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Lynne M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Marilyn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huestis
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Haning
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Sheri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Della Grotta
authors.forename: Lynne M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Dansereau
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.forename: Barry M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Lester
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013391:Sucking Behavior
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine