Diastolic alterations in infants exposed to intrauterine cocaine: A follow-up study by color kinesis

Background: During the first 48 hours of life, newborn infants exposed to cocaine in utero have left ventricular diastolic segmental abnormalities. It is unknown whether these abnormalities are transient because of short-term effects or persist in older infants, possibly reflecting a teratogenic effect of cocaine. Methods: This study prospectively evaluated global and segmental systolic and diastolic cardiac parameters by color kinesis. The patients were 2- to 6-month-old infants who were exposed to cocaine in utero (N = 56). Their data were compared with normal control patients with no intrauterine drug exposure (N = 60) and newborns exposed to drugs other than cocaine (N = 72). Results: At the age of 2 to 6 months, there was no significant difference in the measured color kinesis parameters among the cocaine-exposed and the 2 control groups (infants prenatally exposed to other drugs and no drugs). Infants exposed to heavy cocaine prenatally, as compared with the noncocaine-exposed group, had a significant (P =.007) increase in septal fractional area change during left ventricular filling. Conclusions: At 2 to 6 months of age, infants have recovered from initial left ventricular diastolic segmental alterations seen in the first 48 hours of life except for the septal wall in the heavily cocaine-exposed group. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:1361-6.)