Impact of maternal substance use on offspring neurobehavioral development
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11473971 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with pregnant people who use substances to understand how their immune system and the placenta affect their child’s brain development and behavior over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,807,374 |
| NIH project number | 4R01HD113188-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11473971 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant individuals with indicated exposure to opioids, cannabis, or alcohol and their offspring, followed through early childhood.
✕Less likely to help
Results may be less directly beneficial for pregnant individuals without substance exposure or for children without exposure-related risks.
What this research studies
This project uses data from a large, multi-site study to follow mothers and their children from birth to early childhood. It will look at how substance use during pregnancy influences maternal immune activation and how that relates to the child’s neurodevelopment and behavior, including mood and attention-related outcomes. The researchers will examine the placenta’s role in mediating these effects and connect findings to serotonin pathways in the developing brain. The work aims to uncover mechanisms that could inform prevention and early intervention for children at risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide strategies to reduce neurodevelopmental risk in children exposed to substances in pregnancy and improve early-life monitoring and care.
How similar studies have gone: The study builds on large-scale, human cohorts examining maternal immune and placental factors influencing child development, with prior work showing links between exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Edlow, Andrea Goldberg — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Edlow, Andrea Goldberg
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.