Table 2.
Maternal and newborn characteristics grouped by Meconium Drug Screen + result
| Characteristic | THC positive | Amphetamines positive | Opioids positive | Positive for more than one substance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total n (%) | 289 / 450 (64.2%) | 50 / 450 (11.1%) | 30 / 450 (6.7%) | 80 / 450 (17.8%) |
| Mother characteristics | ||||
| Age (years) median, IQR | 26 (23–30) | 31 (28–34)* | 31 (27–35)* | 30 (28 − 24)* |
| Smoking during pregnancy indicated n (%) | ||||
| Yes | 76 (29.3%)* | 31 (72.1%)* | 12 (44.4%)* | 41 (60.3%)* |
| No | 183 (70.7%)* | 12 (27.9%)* | 15 (55.6%)* | 27 (39.7%)* |
| Number of cigarettes median, IQR | 0 (0–0) | 4 (0–10)* | 0 (0-4.3)* | 0.5 (0-9.5)* |
| Number of pregnancies median, IQR | 3 (2–4) | 4 (3–7)* | 4 (2–5) | 4 (3–6)* |
| Number of live children median, IQR | 1 (0–2) | 2 (1.5-4)* | 2 (1-3.3) | 2 (1–4)* |
| Geographical location n (%) | ||||
| Metropolitan | 222 (76.8%)* | 29 (58.0%) | 21 (70.0%) | 58 (72.5%) |
| Non-metropolitan | 67 (23.2%)* | 21 (42.0%) | 9 (30.0%) | 22 (27.5%) |
| Race n (%) | ||||
| White | 173 (59.9%)* | 44 (88.0%)* | 24 (80.0%) | 58 (72.5%) |
| African American | 106 (36.7%)* | 4 (8.0%)* | 4 (13.3%) | 17 (21.2%) |
| Other | 10 (3.5%)* | 2 (4.0%) | 2 (6.7%) | 5 (6.2%) |
| Teenage mother (< 20 years) n (%) | 13 (4.5%)* | 1 (2.0%) | 1 (3.3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Infant characteristics | ||||
| Length of stay (days) median, IQR | 2 (2–3)* | 4 (2-9.75)* | 3.5 (2-11.8)* | 3 (2–6)* |
| Weight (g) median, IQR | 3000 (2700–3400)* | 3000 (2500–3400) | 3100 (2700–3500) | 3000 (2700–3400) |
| Height (cm) median, IQR | 50 (48.3–51.4)* | 49.5 (46.1–50.8)* | 49.5 (47.6–52.7) | 49.5 (47–52) |
| Head circumference (cm) median, IQR | 33.5 (31.8–34.5)* | 33 (31.0-33.7)* | 33.5 (31.9–35.0) | 33.5 (32.4–34.3) |
| Gestational age (weeks) median, IQR | 39 (37–39) | 38 (36–39)* | 38 (36–39)* | 38 (37–39) |
| Preterm birth (< 37 weeks) n (%) | 42 (14.5%) | 14 (28.0%)* | 10 (33.3%)* | 15 (18.8%) |
| Low birth weight (< 2500 g) n (%) | 51 (17.6%) | 16 (32.0%) | 7 (23.3%) | 15 (18.8%) |
| Time period n (%) | ||||
| Pre-pandemic | 60 (20.8%) | 17 (34.0%)* | 12 (40.0%) | 26 (32.5%) |
| Pandemic | 131 (45.3%) | 26 (52.0%)* | 14 (46.7%) | 37 (46.2%) |
| Post-pandemic | 98 (33.9%) | 7 (14.0%)* | 4 (13.3%) | 17 (21.2%) |
Continuous variables are presented as medians and IQRs, and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages
IQR: interquartile range, n: number
*: significant difference compared to the MDS- group based on p < 0.05 using Mann-Whitney U and X2 tests