Effects of Methamphetamine or P on Unborn Babies

Background to research

Since the 1990s there has been an ever increasing use and abuse of methamphetamine world-wide. P, Pure, or Burn are names that have become associated with potent forms of methamphetamine made in illegal laboratories in New Zealand and there has been a significant upsurge recently in the use of these drugs in New Zealand. Amongst the users there is an increasing number of women taking methamphetamine during their pregnancy.  This widespread use has been reflected in the dramatic increase in referrals of pregnant women to the Alcohol Drug and Pregnancy Team (ADAPT) at National Women’s Health in Auckland. There have also been a number of referrals to Parenting and Drug Services and community and hospital midwives at Waitemata District Health Board.

Methamphetamine is an addictive psychostimulant resembling cocaine but has a longer duration period (4-24 hours). Despite the extensive use of this highly addictive drug here and in a number of regions world-wide, little is known about the potential neurotoxic effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on the development of children.

What are your research objectives?

The specific aims of this proposal are to determine the effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on babies at 3 months in the following areas -

• Sleep
• Respiratory control
• Autonomic nervous system control
• Arousal

Infants who have been exposed prenatally to methamphetamine will exhibit disturbed state organisation, respiratory control,  autonomic nervous system control and display  arousal defects compared with babies who have not had the same exposure to the drug.

How will you conduct your research?

One hundred and twenty methamphetamine-exposed children and 120 non-exposed children in Auckland are to be enrolled in the study. Because many methamphetamine users are also smokers we will also study infants of mothers who smoked in pregnancy.

Polysomography (PSG or sleep study) will be performed for a nap sleep (3 hours) in either the morning or afternoon. This measures respiration, heart rate, brain wave activity. In addition arousal will be measured using auditory stimulation (noise) after 3 hours sleep.

Are there others in your field in NZ or globally conducting similar research?

To address the lack of research on the neurotoxic effects of prenatal exposure of methamphetamine world-wide, Professor Barry Lester and his colleagues at Brown University have begun a multi-site study which includes four states in the United States, where the use of methamphetamine is particularly prevalent.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the United States has recently provided initial funding for Auckland to become the fifth site in the USA multi-site collaboration. The objective of this study is to determine the developmental consequences of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine in the newborn infant and the developing child up to 3 years of age.

Infants exposed in utero to tobacco, cannabis, opiates and cocaine are at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The study we are conducting is based on the early evidence that in utero methamphetamine exposure may affect the developing fetal brain resulting in altered sleep state organisation and altered respiratory control. This component of the study will only be conducted on the Auckland site, and therefore our team will be providing unique information.

What is innovative about the approach you are taking?

This study is unique as no-one else has assessed infants exposed to methamphetamine in this way.

If you achieve your objectives what will that mean to those suffering from the disease or to the knowledge advancement of this disease?

Infants (children) that were exposed to recreational drugs in utero are at higher risk of death morbidity, developmental delay and behavioural problems. It is uncertain whether these effects are due to the direct effects of the drugs on the developing fetus, or whether the effects are a consequence of the environment that the child is born into. This study has the potential to identify whether these infants are at increased risk of abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system and state organisation which could increase their risk of death.

Is there national or international collaboration on your research project?

The study is part of an international collaboration, led by Professor Barry Lester at Brown University which includes four states in the US and Auckland. The leader of the Auckland team is Dr Trecia Wouldes. The specific study funded by Child Health Research Foundation is led by Professor Ed Mitchell.

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