Abstract
The number of infants born to women who abuse cocaine is rapidly increasing. Subjects of this study, conducted within a drug treatment program providing pre and postnatal services to drug dependent women(DDW), included 237 pregnant women: 91 cocaine using DDW, 83 non-cocaine using DDW, and 63 non-DDW. The groups were similar for maternal age, socioeconomic status, nicotine use and parity, but differed in race. Abruptio placentae occurred in 8% of the cocaine DDW, 4% of the non-cocaine DDW and in 2% of the non-DDW. Spontaneous abortions, emergency C-sections and meconium staining occurred more often in the cocaine DDW than in either of the other 2 groups. Birth weight and length, head circumference, gestational age, and 1 min. Apgar scores were significantly lower in the infants of cocaine DDW. No differences existed in the occurrence of congenital anomalities and intracranial hemorrhage. There were more premature deliveries in the cocaine (21%) than in the non-cocaine (11%) and comparison (4%) groups. Mean neonatal abstinence scores, which incorporated 21 physiological and behavioral parameters to quantify symptoms, were lower for the cocaine exposed infants. Differences were significant with respect to cry, disturbed tremors, increased muscle tone, excoriations, fever, mottling, and loose stools. The results of this study suggest that: 1)cocaine use in pregnancy adversely effects maternal and infant outcome, 2)exposure to cocaine in-utero does not appear to increase the incidence of neonatal abstinence symptomatology.
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Livesay, S., Ehrlich, S. & Finnegan, L. COCAINE AND PREGNANCY: MATERNAL AND INFANT OUTCOME. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 238 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00424
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00424