Prenatal Substance Exposure and Developmental Referrals
Abstract
Prenatal substance exposure is associated with increased risk for early developmental concerns, and polysubstance exposure may further increase developmental vulnerability. Rates of prenatal substance exposure remain elevated throughout parts of Appalachia, highlighting the importance of systematic developmental screenings and referral practices. The present study will examine whether the number of documented prenatal substance exposures is associated with an increased likelihood of developmental referral across domains of early development. We hypothesize that a greater number of exposures will be associated with increased odds of referral recommendations for early intervention. A retrospective chart review of electronic health records was conducted at a specialty pediatric follow-up clinic in South-Central Appalachia. Data was extracted for patients with at least one clinic visit between April 2020 and March 2025. A total of 570 clinic visits were identified; 201 clinic visits included a Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI-2 or BDI-3) administration. Final analytic sample size will be determined following data cleaning. Prenatal substance exposure will be operationalized as a continuous variable reflecting the total number of documented substance categories. Exposure status was determined from electronic health records based on maternal self-report, positive maternal urine drug screen during pregnancy or at delivery, or positive infant cord toxicology. The BDI is a psychometrically validated screening tool examining development in five domains: adaptive, cognitive, communication, motor, and social-emotional. For each domain, outcomes will be coded dichotomously as pass or refer. Logistic regression analyses are planned to examine whether the number of documented prenatal substance exposures predicts likelihood of referral within each developmental domain. These findings are expected to clarify patterns of referral associated with polysubstance exposure and may inform developmental monitoring in pediatric follow-up clinics serving children with prenatal substance exposure.
Start Time
15-4-2026 2:30 PM
End Time
15-4-2026 3:30 PM
Room Number
311
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Grad/Comp Orals
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Student Type
Graduate
Faculty Mentor
Alyson Chroust
Prenatal Substance Exposure and Developmental Referrals
311
Prenatal substance exposure is associated with increased risk for early developmental concerns, and polysubstance exposure may further increase developmental vulnerability. Rates of prenatal substance exposure remain elevated throughout parts of Appalachia, highlighting the importance of systematic developmental screenings and referral practices. The present study will examine whether the number of documented prenatal substance exposures is associated with an increased likelihood of developmental referral across domains of early development. We hypothesize that a greater number of exposures will be associated with increased odds of referral recommendations for early intervention. A retrospective chart review of electronic health records was conducted at a specialty pediatric follow-up clinic in South-Central Appalachia. Data was extracted for patients with at least one clinic visit between April 2020 and March 2025. A total of 570 clinic visits were identified; 201 clinic visits included a Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI-2 or BDI-3) administration. Final analytic sample size will be determined following data cleaning. Prenatal substance exposure will be operationalized as a continuous variable reflecting the total number of documented substance categories. Exposure status was determined from electronic health records based on maternal self-report, positive maternal urine drug screen during pregnancy or at delivery, or positive infant cord toxicology. The BDI is a psychometrically validated screening tool examining development in five domains: adaptive, cognitive, communication, motor, and social-emotional. For each domain, outcomes will be coded dichotomously as pass or refer. Logistic regression analyses are planned to examine whether the number of documented prenatal substance exposures predicts likelihood of referral within each developmental domain. These findings are expected to clarify patterns of referral associated with polysubstance exposure and may inform developmental monitoring in pediatric follow-up clinics serving children with prenatal substance exposure.
