Cocaine abuse in pregnancy: effects on the fetus and newborn.
The outcome of infants born to cocaine-using drug dependent women was compared to that of infants of non-cocaine using drug dependent and non-drug dependent women. The study population included 150 pregnant women: 50 women used heroin and methadone plus cocaine, 50 used heroin and methadone minus cocaine, and 50 were non-drug dependent women. Significant differences were found between the cocaine and drug-free groups in infant birth weight, length, head circumference and Apgar scores, with the cocaine group having lower values for each variable. Average gestational age did not vary between the 3 groups. The cocaine group included 1 spontaneous abortion and 4 fetal deaths; non-cocaine drug dependent women had 2 fetal deaths, with none in the control group. Mean abstinence scores for 19 of the physiological and behavioral parameters were lower in the cocaine group than in the non-cocaine drug dependent women with the exception of vomiting and convulsions. These data suggest that: (1) infants born to drug dependent women have a poorer general outcome than those born to non-drug dependent women; (2) maternal cocaine use does not appear to increase the incidence of severe neonatal abstinence symptomatology; (3) pregnancies complicated by cocaine abuse have a greater chance for fetal loss resulting from both spontaneous abortions and fetal death; (4) infants born to cocaine abusing women had infants with decreased birth weight, head circumference, length and Apgar scores.
Ryan
L
L
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Pediatrics, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Ehrlich
S
S
Finnegan
L
L
D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008691:Methadone / Q000009:adverse effects; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; D011247:Pregnancy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
D003042:Cocaine; D008691:Methadone