title: Prenatal exposure to drugs: effects on brain development and implications for policy and education.
abstract: The effects of prenatal exposure to drugs on brain development are complex and are modulated by the timing, dose and route of drug exposure. It is difficult to assess these effects in clinical cohorts as these are beset with problems such as multiple exposures and difficulties in documenting use patterns. This can lead to misinterpretation of research findings by the general public, the media and policy makers, who may mistakenly assume that the legal status of a drug correlates with its biological impact on fetal brain development and long-term clinical outcomes. It is important to close the gap between what science tells us about the impact of prenatal drug exposure on the fetus and the mother and what we do programmatically with regard to at-risk populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Levitt
authors.forename: Gregg D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Stanwood
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000633:toxicity; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000633:toxicity; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity; D009538:Nicotine / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D008694:Methamphetamine; D009538:Nicotine; D000661:Amphetamine