Behavioral Outcomes of Young Children Prenatally Exposed to Illicit Drugs
Topics in Early Childhood Special EducationPublished 1 April 1994
Judith J. Carta, George Sideridis, Phoebe Rinkel, Suely Sales Guimarães, Charles R. Greenwood, Kathleen M. Baggett
Citations16
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.21
SNIP2.44
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TL;DR
The findings from existing peer-reviewed experimental studies describing the behavioral and developmental outcomes associated with prenatal exposure to illicit drugs were reviewed and only half of these outcomes were statistically significant, indicating adverse effects of prenatal exposure.
Abstract
The purpose of this article was to review the findings from existing peer-reviewed experimental studies describing the behavioral and developmental outcomes associated with prenatal exposure to illicit drugs. Forty-six such studies and 460 individual outcomes occurring from birth to 60 months were identified. Only half of these outcomes (49.8%) were statistically significant, indicating adverse effects of prenatal exposure. The greatest number of outcomes were identified for infants younger than 1 month of age and within the neurodevelopmental domain. The contrast between these outcomes derived from experimental studies and those reported in the popular press is discussed.
Keywords
Medicine
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