title: Estimating the neurocognitive effects of an early intervention program for children with prenatal alcohol exposure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Animal studies suggest that early intervention in pups exposed heavily to ethanol in utero can mitigate their neurocognitive damage. No human studies on this promising mechanism exists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breaking the Cycle is an early intervention program for drug-and alcohol addicted mothers and their young children. We compared BSID-III scores between infants heavily exposed to ethanol and a group exposed only to drugs of abuse, mainly cocaine. Both groups benefited from all aspects of our early intervention program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups did not differ in any aspect of the BSID-III. These data are in contradistinction to the damage seen in heavily ethanol- exposed infants not benefiting from early intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot suggests that early intervention may mitigate some of the well described damages caused by heavy in utero alcohol exposure.
authors.affiliation: ivision of Clinical Pharmacology &Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children andUniversity of Toronto, Toronto.
authors.forename: Parvaneh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yazdani
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motz
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*