Am J Perinatol 2012; 29(03): 203-210
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1285094
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The Effects of Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure on Childhood Growth Patterns from Birth to 3 Years of Age

Rachel Zabaneh
1   Los Angeles Biomedical Institute at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
,
Lynne M. Smith
1   Los Angeles Biomedical Institute at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
,
Linda L. LaGasse
2   Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
,
Chris Derauf
3   John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
,
Elana Newman
4   Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma
,
Rizwan Shah
5   Blank Hospital Regional Child Protection Center–Iowa Health, Des Moines, Iowa
,
Amelia Arria
6   Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR), University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
,
Marilyn Huestis
7   Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
,
William Haning
3   John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
,
Arthur Strauss
8   Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, California
,
Sheri Della Grotta
2   Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
,
Lynne M. Dansereau
2   Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
,
Hai Lin
2   Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
,
Charles Neal
3   John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
,
Barry M. Lester
2   Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

03 February 2011

08 June 2011

Publication Date:
04 August 2011 (online)

Abstract

We examined the effects of prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure on growth parameters from birth to age 3 years. The 412 subjects included (n = 204 exposed) were enrolled at birth in the Infant Development, Environment and Lifestyle study, a longitudinal study assessing the effects of prenatal MA exposure on childhood outcomes. Individual models were used to examine the effects of prenatal MA exposure on weight, head circumference, height, and weight-for-length growth trajectories. After adjusting for covariates, height trajectory was lower in the exposed versus the comparison children (p = 0.021) over the first 3 years of life. Both groups increased height on average by 2.27 cm per month by age 3 years. In term subjects, MA exposure was also associated with a lower height trajectory (p = 0.034), with both the exposed and comparison groups gaining 2.25 cm per month by age 3 years. There was no difference in weight, head circumference, or weight-for-length growth trajectories between the comparison and the exposed groups. Children exposed prenatally to MA have a modest decrease in height growth trajectory during the first 3 years of life with no observed difference in weight, head circumference, or weight-for-length trajectories.

 
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