• DOI:10.1097/00004703-200002000-00004
• Corpus ID: 28960955

Thirty‐Six‐Month Outcome of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure for Term or Near‐Term Infants: Impact of Early Case Management

@article{Kilbride2000ThirtySixMonthOO,
  title={Thirty‐Six‐Month Outcome of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure for Term or Near‐Term Infants: Impact of Early Case Management},
  author={Howard Kilbride and Cheri A Castor and Edward L. Hoffman and Kathryn L. Fuger},
  journal={Journal of Developmental \& Behavioral Pediatrics},
  year={2000},
  volume={21},
  pages={19–26}
}

• H. Kilbride, C. Castor, +1 author Kathryn L. Fuger
• Published 1 February 2000
• Medicine, Psychology
• Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics

&NA; Gestational cocaine use is associated with serious pregnancy complications having fetal and neonatal implications. However, many cocaine‐abusing women deliver uneventfully at term. The purpose of this study was to assess the neurodevelopmental outcome for term or near‐term infants after prenatal cocaine exposure and to determine whether that outcome would be modified by early, intensive family case management. Cocaine‐exposed infants identified after delivery at an urban hospital were alternately assigned to receive case management (n = 70) or routine follow‐up (n = 48). A matched, non‐drug‐exposed group of infants was identified for comparison (n = 41). Infants aged up to 36 months were serially evaluated in a multidisciplinary clinic with cognitive, psychomotor, and language testing. Group comparisons were performed using one‐way analysis of variance. There were no statistical differences in mean cognitive, psychomotor, or language quotients between cocaine‐exposed and non‐drug‐exposed infant groups aged up to 36 months. At 6 months of age, case‐managed cocaine‐exposed infants had a significantly higher mean Bayley Mental Developmental Index score than those who were routinely managed. However, no differences were present at subsequent assessments. Among cocaine‐exposed infants who remained with their mothers at 36 months, verbal scores were significantly higher for case‐managed compared with routine‐managed infants. The negative effects of urban, low socioeconomic status may overshadow the impact of prenatal cocaine exposure on early childhood outcome for those infants born without prenatal complications.