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Street drug use during pregnancy: potential programming effects on preschool wheeze

M E Alton1, S C Tough2, P J Mandhane3

  • 11 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
|July 24, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Maternal street drug use during pregnancy is linked to wheeze in preschool girls. This association persists even after accounting for maternal distress, smoking, and alcohol consumption, suggesting prenatal drug exposure may impact fetal development.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Street drug use during pregnancy poses risks to fetal development.
  • The link between maternal substance use and childhood wheeze is not fully understood.
  • Investigating prenatal exposures and their long-term health effects is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the impact of maternal street drug use and distress during pregnancy on wheeze and allergy development in preschool children.
  • To determine if these associations differ between boys and girls.
  • To identify potential prenatal programming effects of street drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized questionnaire data from 791 mother-child pairs in the Community Perinatal Care trial.
  • Employed logistic regression to analyze associations between maternal substance use/distress and child outcomes at age 3.
  • Adjusted for multiple confounding factors including alcohol use, tobacco use, breastfeeding, daycare, and socioeconomic status.

Main Results:

  • Maternal street drug use during pregnancy was associated with wheeze in preschool girls (OR: 5.02, 95% CI: 1.30-19.4).
  • Severe maternal distress during pregnancy was linked to wheeze in girls (OR: 5.79, 95% CI: 1.25-26.8) and allergies in boys (OR: 3.85, 95% CI: 1.11-13.3).
  • No association was found between maternal street drug use and allergies in boys.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal street drug use during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of wheeze in preschool girls.
  • This association is independent of maternal distress, smoking, and alcohol use.
  • Prenatal exposure to street drugs may have lasting programming effects on respiratory health in female offspring.

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