Relationships between child health outcomes and maternal mental health among children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure

Contact: Dr Kelly Jones – kelly.jones@aut.ac.nz

The Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle (IDEAL) study was established as a multisite, longitudinal, prospective analysis of the effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) on children in the United States and New Zealand. The IDEAL study examines children’s physical and neurobehavioural development in relation to prenatal factors (i.e. severity of PME) and post-natal environmental factors, including maternal depression.

There is limited literature regarding the effects of PME and maternal mental health on children’s physical health outcomes. The current project, based on a secondary analysis of data from the NZ cohort, aims to determine physical health outcomes in children with PME compared to PME-free controls and examine associations with maternal mental health.

Key research questions include:

1. What is the difference in the total number of health diagnoses at 6.5 years of age between children with and without PME?
2. Among children with PME, to what extent are the total number of health diagnoses at 6.5 years of age associated with concurrent maternal mental health?

Lead:   Christina Lau (University of Bath)

Co-supervisors include:

• Dr Kelly Jones (AUT University)
• Dr Trecia Wouldes (University of Auckland; Director of the NZ IDEAL study)