title: Ongoing maternal drug use, parenting attitudes, and a home intervention: effects on mother-child interaction at 18 months.
abstract: This prospective study examined the effects of ongoing maternal drug use, parenting attitudes, and a home-based intervention on mother-child interaction among drug-using women and their children. At 2 weeks postpartum, mothers and infants were randomly assigned to either an Intervention (n = 67) or Control (n = 64) Group. Intervention families received weekly visits until 6 months postpartum and biweekly visits from 6 to 18 months by trained lay visitors. The home intervention was designed to increase maternal empowerment and promote child development. Control families received brief monthly tracking visits. Mother-child interaction was evaluated at 18 months through observation of play. Mothers who continued to use cocaine and/or heroin had lower competence scores (p <.05); poor parenting attitude was also associated with lower competence scores during mother-child interaction (p <.05). Although the intervention had no measured effect, ongoing maternal drug use and poor parenting attitudes were associated with less optimal maternal behavior during mother-child interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21201, USA. mschuler@peds.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Maureen E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Schuler
authors.forename: Prasanna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Maureen M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D015142:Baltimore; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*