Attentional response at eight weeks in prenatally drug-exposed and preterm infants.
To evaluate the effect of prenatal polydrug exposure on infant attention, 105 8-week-old African-American infants were presented a series of stimuli and their heart rates (HRs) were recorded. Infants were identified postnatally based on mothers' substance use. Four groups were tested: 1) preterm drug-exposed infants (n = 25); 2) full-term, drug-exposed (n = 32); 3) preterm nonexposed (n = 22); and 4) full-term, nonexposed (n = 26). Preterm infants' ages were corrected. Infant's baseline HRs were recorded and then stimuli presented in the following order: auditory (rattle), visual (red ring), and social (examiner's face and voice). There were no HR differences at baseline or in auditory or visual conditions. However, significant differences (F(2, 103) = 6.54, p < 0.01) were seen in response to social stimuli. Drug-exposed infants showed an acceleratory HR indicating distress or arousal and control infants showed a deceleratory response indicating focused attention and there was an interaction due to greater HR response in preterms. Hierarchical regression indicated cocaine (R2 = 0.034, p < 0.05) but not other drug use and instability in parenting (R2 = 0.137, p < 0.001) accounted for the observed differences.
Coles
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Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. ccoles@emory.edu
Bard
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Platzman
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Lynch
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D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012923:Social Class
D003042:Cocaine