Understanding how child protection policies affect infants exposed to substances at birth
Official title: Implementation and Outcomes of Child Protection System Reporting Policies Regarding Infants Born with Prenatal Substance Exposure
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-10794257 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | August 14, 2023 |
| Project end | August 13, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $41,012 |
| NIH project number | 5F31DA057756-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10794257 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are infants born with prenatal substance exposure and their mothers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have a history of prenatal substance exposure may not benefit from this research.
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.
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 gone: 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
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reddy, Julia — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Reddy, Julia
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.