Cocaine exposure and developmental outcome from birth to 6 months

The theoretical framework for many of the early studies of prenatal cocaine exposure has been rooted in the basic concepts of teratology/developmental toxicology. Few have published longitudinal analyses of the complex interplay between the relative effects of prenatal cocaine exposure and perinatal and environmental factors on development. The purpose of this paper was to use structural equation modeling to describe the direct and indirect effects of prenatal drug exposure on developmental outcome from birth to age 6 months. Key variables considered for study include prenatal drug exposure, perinatal medical characteristics, maternal/caregiver/family characteristics, the home environment, and neurobehavioral outcomes. We prospectively enrolled 154 predominantly crack-using women. A priori exclusion criteria included: