title: Cognitive functioning in 8- to 18-month-old drug-exposed infants.
abstract: This study examined the cognitive functioning in 236 infants at 8 and 18 months of age. Thirty-seven infants were heavily exposed to cocaine in-utero, 30 were lightly exposed, and 169 were not exposed to cocaine. Cognitive functioning was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (2nd ed.; N. Bayley, 1993) at both ages. Infant information processing was also assessed with an infant-controlled habituation procedure. Results indicated that (a) infants of cocaine-abusing women had higher neonatal medical and environmental risk scores; (b) at 8 months, exposure groups did not differ in Psychomotor Development Index, Mental Development Index (MDI) scores, or recovery to a novel stimulus; and (c) infants heavily exposed to cocaine or high environmental risk had a decrease in MDI scores from 8 to 18 months. These results were obtained when neonatal medical and environmental risk, as well as polydrug exposure, were controlled.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical College of Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alessandri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bendersky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence / Q000187:drug effects*; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine