Abstract
This study compared patterns of prenatal care among mothers who used methamphetamine (MA) during pregnancy and non-using mothers
in the US and New Zealand (NZ), and evaluated associations among maternal drug use, child protective services (CPS) referral,
and inadequate prenatal care in both countries. The sample consisted of 182 mothers in the MA-Exposed and 196 in the Comparison
groups in the US, and 107 mothers in the MA-Exposed and 112 in the Comparison groups in NZ. Positive toxicology results and/or
maternal report of MA use during pregnancy were used to identify MA use. Information about sociodemographics, prenatal care
and prenatal substance use was collected by maternal interview. MA-use during pregnancy is associated with lower socioeconomic
status, single marital status, and CPS referral in both NZ and the US. Compared to their non-using counterparts, MA-using
mothers in the US had significantly higher rates of inadequate prenatal care. No association was found between inadequate
care and MA-use in NZ. In the US, inadequate prenatal care was associated with CPS referral, but not in NZ. Referral to CPS
for drug use only composed 40 % of all referrals in the US, but only 15 % of referrals in NZ. In our study population, prenatal
MA-use and CPS referral eclipse maternal sociodemographics in explanatory power for inadequate prenatal care. The predominant
effect of CPS referral in the US is especially interesting, and should encourage further research on whether the US policy
of mandatory reporting discourages drug-using mothers from seeking antenatal care.
in the US and New Zealand (NZ), and evaluated associations among maternal drug use, child protective services (CPS) referral,
and inadequate prenatal care in both countries. The sample consisted of 182 mothers in the MA-Exposed and 196 in the Comparison
groups in the US, and 107 mothers in the MA-Exposed and 112 in the Comparison groups in NZ. Positive toxicology results and/or
maternal report of MA use during pregnancy were used to identify MA use. Information about sociodemographics, prenatal care
and prenatal substance use was collected by maternal interview. MA-use during pregnancy is associated with lower socioeconomic
status, single marital status, and CPS referral in both NZ and the US. Compared to their non-using counterparts, MA-using
mothers in the US had significantly higher rates of inadequate prenatal care. No association was found between inadequate
care and MA-use in NZ. In the US, inadequate prenatal care was associated with CPS referral, but not in NZ. Referral to CPS
for drug use only composed 40 % of all referrals in the US, but only 15 % of referrals in NZ. In our study population, prenatal
MA-use and CPS referral eclipse maternal sociodemographics in explanatory power for inadequate prenatal care. The predominant
effect of CPS referral in the US is especially interesting, and should encourage further research on whether the US policy
of mandatory reporting discourages drug-using mothers from seeking antenatal care.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s10995-012-1033-8
- Authors
- Min Wu, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Linda L. LaGasse, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Trecia A. Wouldes, Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Amelia M. Arria, Family Science Department, Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
- Tara Wilcox, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Chris Derauf, Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Elana Newman, Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
- Rizwan Shah, Blank Hospital Regional Child Protection Center – Iowa Health, Des Moines, IA, USA
- Lynne M. Smith, Department of Pediatrics, LABioMed Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Charles R. Neal, Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Marilyn A. Huestis, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Sheri DellaGrotta, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Barry M. Lester, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Journal Maternal and Child Health Journal
- Online ISSN 1573-6628
- Print ISSN 1092-7875