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The influence of maternal psychological distress in the development of cocaine exposed infants
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THE INFLUENCE OF MATERNAL PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COCAINE EXPOSED INFANTS L. Singer, K. Farkas, R. Arendt, S. Minnes, J. Huang, T. Yamashita, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44106-6019 Y Maternal cocaine use during pregnancy can affect the fetus directly through toxic effects, or indirectly through cocaine’s influence on maternal psychological status. We followed 114 cocaine exposed (CE) and 34 non-exposed infants and their mothers identified at birth through interview and/or urine screen. Infants were 98O/6AfricanAmerican and poor. All mothers completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and infants were given the Bayley Scales of Mental (MDI) and Motor (PDI) development at a mean corrected age of 17 + 8 months. Cocaine- using mothers were older, more likely to use alcohol, marijuana and tobacco, while CE infants were lower in GA (all p’s c.05). Both MDl’s (94217 vs. 103+16) and PDl’s (101+16 vs. 108212) were lower for CE infants. Psychological distress was increased in cocaine using mothers, significantly for phobic anxiety symptoms (e.06). Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the relative effects of GA, psychological distress and cocaine on infant outcomes. Both psychological distress and cocaine exposure independently predicted MDI after controlling for GA, accounting for >5% of variance (p’s<.O5). Increased psychological distress did not predict motor outcome, however, while cocaine had a marginal effect (pc.06). These findings provide further support for cocaine’s direct effects on infant development, as well as highlight the need for studies to document maternal psychological factors.
THE INFLUENCE OF MATERNAL PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COCAINE EXPOSED INFANTS L. Singer, K. Farkas, R. Arendt, S. Minnes, J. Huang, T. Yamashita, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44106-6019 Y Maternal cocaine use during pregnancy can affect the fetus directly through toxic effects, or indirectly through cocaine’s influence on maternal psychological status. We followed 114 cocaine exposed (CE) and 34 non-exposed infants and their mothers identified at birth through interview and/or urine screen. Infants were 98O/6AfricanAmerican and poor. All mothers completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and infants were given the Bayley Scales of Mental (MDI) and Motor (PDI) development at a mean corrected age of 17 + 8 months. Cocaine- using mothers were older, more likely to use alcohol, marijuana and tobacco, while CE infants were lower in GA (all p’s c.05). Both MDl’s (94217 vs. 103+16) and PDl’s (101+16 vs. 108212) were lower for CE infants. Psychological distress was increased in cocaine using mothers, significantly for phobic anxiety symptoms (e.06). Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the relative effects of GA, psychological distress and cocaine on infant outcomes. Both psychological distress and cocaine exposure independently predicted MDI after controlling for GA, accounting for >5% of variance (p’s<.O5). Increased psychological distress did not predict motor outcome, however, while cocaine had a marginal effect (pc.06). These findings provide further support for cocaine’s direct effects on infant development, as well as highlight the need for studies to document maternal psychological factors.