Emotional arousal in cocaine exposed toddlers: prediction of behavior problems.
Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may be associated with alterations in children's developing emotional arousal and regulation systems.


OBJECTIVE
We examined emotional responses to a frustrating task and subsequent behavior problems in 225 2 1/2 year olds (129 Prenatally Cocaine and Other Drug Exposed [PCE], 30 Non Cocaine but other drug Exposed [NCE], 66 Non Drug Exposed [NDE]).


METHODS
Children's behaviors in a frustrating toy wait task at age 2 1/2 were coded for emotional arousal and regulation behaviors.


RESULTS
Findings indicated a trend for PCE toddlers to show greater agitated emotional arousal than NCE and NDE toddlers. Further, PCE boys made more references to their caregivers in the task than NDE boys. Higher agitated arousal at age 2 1/2 years was related to greater decreases in externalizing behaviors through age 5 1/2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest a link between cocaine exposure and emotional arousal and regulation and highlight the need to understand complex relations between emotion and risk for later psychopathology in exposed youth.
Chaplin
Tara M
TM
Psychiatry Department, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA. tara.chaplin@yale.edu
Fahy
Thomas
T
Sinha
Rajita
R
Mayes
Linda C
LC
D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000523:psychology; D012727:Sex Characteristics