Women who use substances during pregnancy may be more likely to continue to drink, smoke, or use illicit drugs after the birth of her child. Previous research informed by social learning theory indicates that living with a parent with SUD predicts offspring substance use, with one recent study demonstrating that post-natal exposure to parental SUD increases offspring substance use after controlling for a family history of SUD (Yule et al., 2013). Furthermore, some evidence suggests that current substance use may influence maternal report of prenatal use (Ernhart, 1988). Although parental updates of psychiatric diagnoses including substance use disorder was completed at each yearly offspring follow-up, quantity and frequency of substance use by the parent was not assessed, limiting the available information on parental substance use during offspring childhood and adolescence.
