Morbidity through 3 Years of Age in Children of Women Using Methamphetamine during Pregnancy: A National Registry Study

Background: There is a lack of studies on methamphetamine (MA) exposure and morbidity in children beyond the perinatal period. Objectives: We compared morbidity in children (0–3 years) with prenatal MA exposure to opioid-exposed and to non-exposed children. Methods: We used data from a Czech nationwide, registry-based cohort study (2000–2014). Children, who reached 3 years of age, of mothers hospitalized with (i) MA use disorder during pregnancy (MA; n = 194), (ii) opioid use disorder during pregnancy (opioids; n = 166), and (iii) general population (GP; n = 1,294,349) with no recorded history of substance use disorder (SUD). Information on inpatient contacts, length of stay, and diagnoses (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision [ICD-10]) were assessed. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR), 95% confidence interval (CI) for the risk of hospitalization, and for getting diagnosis from the ICD-10 diagnosis chapters were calculated using binary logistic regression. A stratified analysis on hospitalizations with SUD of mothers was performed. Results: No significant differences were found in the measures of hospitalization between the MA and opioid groups. Children prenatally exposed to MA and opioids had higher numbers of hospitalizations and diagnoses and longer stays in hospital than children in the GP. Increased risks of certain infectious and parasitic diseases were found in both MA (aOR = 1.6; CI: 1.1–2.3) and opioid (aOR = 1.9; 1.3–2.8) groups as compared to the GP group. The most pronounced difference in stratified analysis on maternal hospitalizations related to SUD after birth was observed for injury, poisoning, and certain other consequences of external causes in the strata of the MA group who had hospitalized mothers (aOR 6.3, 1.6–24.6) compared to the strata without maternal hospitalizations (aOR 1.4, 0.9–2.3). Conclusion: This study suggests that children born to mothers using MA during pregnancy have similar morbidity during the first 3 years of life but higher than the GP. The excess of risk was primarily due to infections and injuries in the MA group.

[1]  M. Mahic,et al.  Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes: A Nationwide Cohort Study , 2020, European Addiction Research.

[2]  Lorenza Driul,et al.  Maternal age and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective cohort study , 2019, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

[3]  C. Weinberg,et al.  Role of maternal age and pregnancy history in risk of miscarriage: prospective register based study , 2019, BMJ.

[4]  A. Gordon,et al.  Stimulant Use in Pregnancy: An Under-recognized Epidemic Among Pregnant Women , 2019, Clinical obstetrics and gynecology.

[5]  A. Ornoy.  Pharmacological Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder During Pregnancy and Lactation , 2018, Pharmaceutical Research.

[6]  G. Corrao,et al.  Mother’s education and the risk of several neonatal outcomes: an evidence from an Italian population-based study , 2017, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

[7]  Meghan T. Frey,et al.  Maternal Use of Opioids During Pregnancy and Congenital Malformations: A Systematic Review , 2017, Pediatrics.

[8]  I. Lund,et al.  A Unique Opportunity to Study Short and Long Term Consequences in Children Prenatally Exposed to Illicit Drugs and Opioid Maintenance Treatment Using Czech and Scandinavian Registers. , 2016, Central European journal of public health.

[9]  P. Miller,et al.  Methylphenidate substitution for methamphetamine addiction and implications for future randomized clinical trials: a unique case series , 2016 .

[10]  Matt Anderson,et al.  European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction , 2014 .

[11]  L. Lagasse,et al.  Effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on behavioral and cognitive findings at 7.5 years of age. , 2014, The Journal of pediatrics.

[12]  K. Lui,et al.  Profile of infants born to drug‐using mothers: A state‐wide audit , 2013, Journal of paediatrics and child health.

[13]  L. Lagasse,et al.  The Effect of Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure on Attention as Assessed by Continuous Performance Tests: Results from the Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle Study , 2013, Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP.

[14]  L. Burns,et al.  Amphetamines, the pregnant woman and her children: a review , 2012, Journal of Perinatology.

[15]  L. Lagasse,et al.  Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure and Childhood Behavior Problems at 3 and 5 Years of Age , 2012, Pediatrics.

[16]  L. Lagasse,et al.  Motor and cognitive outcomes through three years of age in children exposed to prenatal methamphetamine. , 2011, Neurotoxicology and teratology.

[17]  L. Lagasse,et al.  Patterns of Methamphetamine Use During Pregnancy: Results from the Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle (IDEAL) Study , 2009, Maternal and Child Health Journal.

[18]  L. Lagasse,et al.  Demographic and Psychosocial Characteristics of Mothers Using Methamphetamine During Pregnancy: Preliminary Results of the Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle Study (IDEAL) , 2007, The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse.

[19]  L. Lagasse,et al.  Methamphetamine and Other Substance Use During Pregnancy: Preliminary Estimates From the Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle (IDEAL) Study , 2006, Maternal and Child Health Journal.

[20]  C. Derauf,et al.  The Prevalence of Methamphetamine and other Drug Use during Pregnancy in Hawaii , 2003 .

[21]  L. Cernerud,et al.  Amphetamine addiction during pregnancy: 14‐year follow‐up of growth and school performance , 1996, Acta paediatrica.

[22]  R. Zetterström,et al.  Predictive indicators for adjustment in 4-year-old children whose mothers used amphetamine during pregnancy. , 1988, Child abuse & neglect.

[23]  S Greenland,et al.  The effect of misclassification in the presence of covariates. , 1980, American journal of epidemiology.

[24]  R. Zetterström,et al.  Amphetamine addiction and pregnancy. III. One year follow-up of the children. Psychosocial and pediatric aspects. , 1980, Acta paediatrica Scandinavica.