Infant Head Growth and Cognitive Status at 36 Months in Children withIn-UteroDrug Exposure

• DOI: 10.1300/j029v14n04_02
• Publication Date: 2005-07-25T13:56:47Z
• Authors: Arlene M. Butz; Margaret B. Pulsifer; Harolyn M. E. Bel...; Mary Leppert; Michele Donithan; Scott Zeger
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine

ABSTRACT Previous studies of children with in-utero drug exposure (IUDE) raise concerns that decreased head circumference (HC) at birth increases the child's risk for later compromised cognitive functioning. The purpose this study was to determine if HC and growth change are associated functioning (IQ) 36 months age in IUDE. In-utero exposed infants (N = 204) identified following delivery two urban hospitals were compared a group non-exposed 34) matched maternal age, gestational socioeconomic status. IUDE had significantly smaller than infants, however, by comparable between groups. At months, there no difference detected IQ groups, yet both groups scored almost one standard deviation below mean but approached US same age. Further more subtle effects prenatal such as attention, impulse control state regulation on developmental outcomes recommended these mature.