Effects of Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure on Birth Outcomes, Brain Structure, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

Abstract

This study reviews the findings from previous research on the effects of prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure on birth outcomes, brain structure, and neurodevelopmental outcomes of the offspring. These findings indicate that prenatal MA exposure may lead to shorter gestational age, lower birth weight, lower head circumference, and shorter body length of neonatal, structural brain changes, and impairment in cognitive development, motor development, inhibitory control, and attention of children from 1 to 15 years. Based on these findings of the previous cohort studies on the effect of prenatal MA exposure on the birth outcomes and childhood outcomes of the offspring, we conclude by discussing the shortcomings and inconsistencies of previous studies in each section. A multicenter, large-scale population-based prospective cohort study is needed to establish and seek the differences and similarities of the pathological changes in different systems among offspring prenatally exposed to MA in different periods. And the pathophysiology mechanism underlying these changes should be studied by the method of omics technology in future. These efforts are of great significance to address the adverse health outcomes caused by prenatal MA exposure.