At a glance
- MAT-LINK is a surveillance approach that works with 11 clinical sites across the nation to monitor key exposures and outcomes that impact pregnant people and their infants.
- The program currently collects information on medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), polysubstance use, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Overview
MAT-LINK is the MATernaL and Infant clinical NetworK. It collects information on pregnant person, infant, and child health outcomes following certain exposures during pregnancy. MAT-LINK comprises 11 clinical sites across the United States.
MAT-LINK currently collects data on these exposures during pregnancy:
- Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD)
- Polysubstance use
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Additional exposures and outcomes that impact pregnant people and their infants may be included over time, including stillbirth, neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), or other conditions.
History
MAT-LINK was established in 2019 to understand outcomes associated with medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy. Initially the program collected data from seven clinical sites in the United States. It was originally funded by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation’s Office of the Secretary Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund.
Interested in analyzing MAT-LINK data?
Why it's important
Results from MAT-LINK can help healthcare providers and patients make better decisions around treatment for substance use and infections.
Goals
- Improve understanding of the range of pregnant person, infant, and long-term child health outcomes associated with MOUD, polysubstance use, and CMV exposures.
- Examine the possible effects of exposure to multiple substances and/or infections on pregnant person and infant outcomes.
Our approach
These examples show the kind of information that MAT-LINK collects:
- Opioid use disorder
- Substance use
- Medications
- Mental health conditions
- Chronic medical conditions
- Cytomegalovirus
- Pregnancy complications
- Delivery complications
- Hospital length of stay
- Preterm birth
- Small for gestational age
- Neonatal complications
- Cognitive development
- Language/communication development
- Motor development
- Social/emotional development
- Growth
Funded partners and programs
Informatics partner
Johns Hopkins University serves as the informatics partner.
MAT-LINK Partners Group
The MAT-LINK Partners Group includes clinical and public health organizations, as well as federal agencies, that have an interest in maternal and child health, child development, substance use, and public health. Examples of partner activities include sharing perspectives and priorities and disseminating project results and lessons learned to partner organizations’ membership and stakeholders. MAT-LINK partner organizations are listed below.
Clinical and public health partners
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
- Association of Public Health Laboratories
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
- National Association of County and City Health Officials
- FASD United (formerly NOFAS)
Federal agency partners
- Administration for Children and Families
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Food and Drug Administration
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration