Play behavior in toddlers with in utero cocaine exposure: a prospective, masked, controlled study.
Play behavior was compared between toddlers with in utero cocaine exposure and controls of similar low socioeconomic status enrolled at birth in a prospective, masked study. At 18 and 24 months, 83 cocaine-exposed and 93 control toddlers were videotaped playing on their own for 15 minutes. An observer who was off-site and unaware of project purpose or drug exposure status of toddlers recorded the most cognitively complex play activity per 15-second interval. In a total of 315 play sessions, the groups did not differ in middle and highest level of play achieved at either 18 or 24 months (p > or = .27). After controlling for confounders, the proportions of play behavior in each of six play categories were similar in the two groups at both 18 and 24 months (p > or = .42). We conclude that in utero cocaine exposure was not associated with differences in play behavior in this cohort of cocaine-exposed and control toddlers.
Hurt
H
H
Division of Neonatology, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19141, USA.
Brodsky
N L
NL
Betancourt
L
L
Braitman
L E
LE
Belsky
J
J
Giannetta
J
J
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies
D003042:Cocaine