# Intergenerational effects of America's opioid crisis: Parental drug use and offspring health

> **NIH NIH K01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2024 · $179,874

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The burden of America's opioid crisis has heavily fallen on children, a vulnerable population increasingly
exposed to opioids in utero or childhood through parental opioid use (POU). POU exposure in utero may lead
to a newborn experiencing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, while POU exposure in childhood may lead
to a child experiencing maltreatment and family separation due to parental drug overdose mortality, parental
institutionalization, or foster care placement. Life course theory postulates that early life adversity, especially in
utero and early childhood, may lead to lifelong physical and mental health, substance use, behavioral, and
socioeconomic problems. This K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award application proposes a
training and research plan that will support Dr. Angélica Meinhofer on a path towards independence, focused
on elucidating the impact of exposure to POU in early life (in utero up to age 8) on mental health disorders,
chronic conditions, infectious diseases, injuries, and healthcare utilization in early and middle childhood. The
training plan supplements Dr. Meinhofer's prior expertise in opioid use disorders, health economics, and policy
evaluation with training in (1) child health with a life course perspective, (2) behavioral health systems and
services for children and families, (3) epidemiology and biostatistics methods, and (4) complex data
management and linkage algorithms. Dr. Meinhofer will achieve the proposed training objectives with a
combination of formal coursework, workshops, and hands-on experience, as well as the mentorship of Dr.
Bruce Schackman, Dr. Yuhua Bao, Dr. Katherine Keyes, and Dr. Rachel Dunifon. Drawing from the Medicaid
Analytic eXtract (MAX) linked with other datasets and combining a longitudinal, population-based study
design with difference-in-differences and propensity score methods, Dr. Meinhofer will use the knowledge and
skills acquired through these training activities to achieve the following aims: (1) Estimate the association
between exposure to opioids in utero and physical and mental health, and healthcare utilization in early
childhood; (2) Estimate the association between exposure to parental drug overdose mortality in early
childhood and physical and mental health, injuries, and healthcare utilization in early and middle childhood;
and (3) Estimate the association between exposure to parental opioid use disorders medication treatment in
early childhood and physical and mental health, injuries, and healthcare utilization in early and middle
childhood. Understanding how early life exposure to POU may affect offspring outcomes over the life course
provides a strong foundation upon which clinicians and policymakers can design a more proactive,
coordinated, family-centered, and overall more effective agenda. The proposed K01 Award will provide Dr.
Meinhofer with the resources, training, and mentoring needed to become an R01-funded independent
...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10877931
- **Project number:** 5K01DA051777-05
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Angelica Meinhofer
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $179,874
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10877931

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10877931, Intergenerational effects of America's opioid crisis: Parental drug use and offspring health (5K01DA051777-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10877931. Licensed CC0.

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