Understanding the impact of the mother child relationship on health and wellness of the mother and child in the OK Moms Registry

Introduction/Objectives: Early childhood development, particularly within the first two years of life, is shaped by both health and environmental factors. Parental health and early life experiences/exposures are key developmental determinants. Registries allow investigation of a broad spectrum of maternal and other environmental factors and their subsequent impact on child development. Potentially impactful variables include substance use, exposure to untested prescription medications during pregnancy, maternal and early life trauma, resilience, social relationships, and mental and physical health. By systematically identifying the factors that positively and negatively influence early development, targeted interventions can be designed to optimize child outcomes. The OK Moms Registry seeks to compile comprehensive data on the interrelationships between maternal health (physical and mental), environmental exposures, social networks, trauma, and resilience during pregnancy and the postpartum period, with the ultimate goal of elucidating their effects on child development and disease.

Study Methods: Participants are recruited into the registry through 1) self-selection from community events, flyers in the community, and respondent-driven sampling; or through 2) direct recruitment at the OSU Pediatric Clinic. Maternal caregivers are recruited anytime from pregnancy to 24 months postpartum. Assessments occur during pregnancy, at birth, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. Data are collected retrospectively if participants enter the study at any time postpartum. For all other participants, data are collected longitudinally over a period of up to 30 months. The birth assessment survey is sent via text message about one week before the expected due date, and if the participant has not given birth or has missed a survey, reminders are sent weekly for up to three weeks. Medical record reviews are conducted as part of the registry once consent and enrollment are completed.

Results: OK Moms has enrolled 133 maternal-child dyads. The average age of mothers is 28.65. It is 17.2% Hispanic, 58.9% White, 16.7% African American, 15.6% American Indian/Alaskan Native. The average ACE score of the mother is 2.9, with a range of 0-9. 6.8% of the mothers failed to retain custody of their children. Of those who did not retain custody of their child, the child was removed in 40% of cases, and the mother gave up rights in 60% of cases. More than a third (33.7%) of moms reported consuming alcohol before they were pregnant and none reported use after knowing they were pregnant. More than one in five (21.7%) reported using cannabis before they were pregnant, and 13% reported continued use. Nearly half (46.7%) of children report screen time with an average number of 63.5 minutes per day, and 12.9% of the children under 2 answered yes to “does your baby have a video device in their room for the purpose of playing for the child.

Conclusions: The OK Moms registry will collect diverse data on mother and child development from prepregnancy to two years old, focusing on cultural, environmental, and life experience factors. This approach enables a deeper understanding of how factors like trauma, substance use, and relationships impact child development, ultimately supporting better outcomes for mothers and children.