Understanding how child protection policies affect infants exposed to substances at birth

Implementation and Outcomes of Child Protection System Reporting Policies Regarding Infants Born with Prenatal Substance Exposure

NIH-funded research Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-10794257

This study looks at how the child protection system helps babies who are born to mothers who used substances during pregnancy, and it aims to find out how the rules for reporting these cases work and how they affect the babies' futures, all while gathering ideas from those who are required to report these situations to make the process better.

Quick facts

Grant typeFellowship grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniv of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chapel Hill, United States)
Project IDNIH-10794257 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates the child protection system's response to infants born with prenatal substance exposure. It aims to understand how reporting policies are implemented by mandated reporters and how these policies impact the outcomes for affected infants. The study will analyze data on mothers diagnosed with substance use at delivery and the subsequent custodial outcomes for their infants. By gathering insights from mandated reporters, the research seeks to identify best practices for improving the effectiveness of these reporting policies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are infants born with prenatal substance exposure and their mothers.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have a history of prenatal substance exposure may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved policies that better protect infants from the risks associated with prenatal substance exposure.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that improving reporting policies can enhance child protection outcomes, suggesting that this approach may yield beneficial results.

Where this research is happening

Chapel Hill, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.