Prevalence of maternal substance use during pregnancy and association with offspring birth outcomes

The goal of this project is to use New Jersey Birth Data to examine the prevalence of maternal substance use during pregnancy (inclusive of alcohol, cigarette smoking, marijuana, and other illicit drugs), and the associations between maternal substance use during pregnancy and offspring birth outcomes (preterm birth and low birth weight). We are particularly interested in understanding temporal dynamics in changes in rates of maternal substance use related to the COVID-19 public health emergency and recent legislation legalizing cannabis, as well as the intersection between maternal substance use and other social determinants of health including education, employment, and race-ethnicity. Establishing this knowledge base is critical for prioritizing prevention and intervention efforts.