A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF PRENATAL COCAINE USE: 6-MONTH OUTCOME RELATED TO AMOUNT OF EXPOSURE. 1531

Abstract

We report the 6-month results from a longitudinal study of the effects of prenatal cocaine use on the medical and neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants. Over 2,000 women from rural health departments consented to the study's interviews and urine screens, from which 154 were identified as cocaine users and matched on risk level of prenatal care, race, parity, and socioeconomic status to 154 consenters verified as non-cocaine users. Drug screening was done at study enrollment and delivery. Psychosocial/drug histories were taken at each trimester and follow-up visit. The 6-month measures included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, the Family Support Scale, and a detailed drug-use history from the child's primary caregiver who was also asked to complete the Bates Infant Characteristics Questionnaire. The child was administered the Bayley Scales, the Fagan test, and measured for height, weight, and head circumference. There were no group differences for the caregiver/family measures. The infants did not differ in size, having caught up in weight and head circumference since birth. Caregiver rated temperament and the child's visual recognition memory as tested by the Fagan were also the same between groups. The singular finding was a significantly lower Bayley PDI in the cocaine-exposed infants (105.4 ± 14.3 vs. 109.7± 13.4). Six- month growth measures were not related to the amount of cocaine used during pregnancy as calculated from the detailed interviews. However, the amount of cocaine used during the second trimester was significantly positively correlated with Bayley MDI score.