Understanding experienced person-centred maternity care and the pharmacology of ADHD medication during pregnancy and lactation.

ADHD has long been considered a paediatric concern, although in about 50% of children with ADHD,
symptoms persist into adulthood and may require medication. Conqequently, the treatment of ADHD
in women of fertile age is on the rise holding many questions to be unanswered regarding pregnancy
and lactation. This fellowship aims to explore the pharmacology of ADHD medication during
pregnancy and lactation and assess person-centred maternity care (PCMC) in women with ADHD.
First, I will develop and validate a UHPLC-MS/MS method able to quantify ADHD medication in three
biological matrices. Second, I will perform a cohort study comparing women (not) taking ADHD
medication during the reproductive period. With the validated UHPLC-MS/MS method, I will
determine the ADHD medication levels in three matrices and how they are correlated. In addition, I
will examine whether the hypothalamus-pituitary-prolactin axis is affected by the intake of ADHD
medication and/or whether there exists an association with (onset of) lactation. I will also apply the
PCMC-scale to assess how maternity care is experienced. Third, I will develop and validate a lactation
Physiology Based PharmacoKinetic model that predicts the transfer of ADHD medication
concentrations to breast milk. The groundbreaking results of this project will provide insights for the
development of guidelines for ADHD in women of reproductive age