Understanding how pregnancy affects drug use behaviors in women
Official title: Elucidating Mechanisms of Pregnancy's Protective Effect on Drug Abuse Using Integrated Data Analysis
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11242866 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how being pregnant can help women cut down on smoking and using other drugs, and it aims to understand why this happens so that better support can be offered to pregnant women trying to quit.
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 | December 7, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $477,239 |
| NIH project number | 7R01DA050700-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11242866 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include pregnant women who are currently using tobacco or other drugs.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not pregnant or who do not use tobacco or other drugs may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the protective effects of pregnancy on women's tobacco and other drug use, exploring how addictive behaviors are temporarily reduced during this period. By analyzing existing datasets, the study aims to identify the mechanisms behind this phenomenon, focusing on the impact of pregnancy events and developmental influences on smoking behavior. The research will also examine the role of prenatal reflective functioning, which may help in developing effective smoking cessation interventions for pregnant women.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for helping pregnant women reduce or quit drug use, improving maternal and child health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that pregnancy can influence substance use behaviors, but this study aims to provide novel insights that have not been extensively explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Massey, Suena Huang — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Massey, Suena Huang
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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.