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The dangers of prenatal exposure to cocaine first grabbed headlines in the mid-1980’s. Many feared that developmental and behavioral problems would plague so-called crack babies.
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But a new study has concluded exposure in the womb to cocaine does not destine children to bad behavior. University of Florida researchers interviewed individual parents and caregivers of nearly three-hundred toddlers to gauge their impressions of their three-year-old’s behavior. About half the youngsters were born to moms who did crack during pregnancy, and the others to mothers who hadn’t used the drug. When doctors compared the average scores from the parental interviews, children exposed to cocaine before birth showed no greater signs of hyperactivity or other disruptive conduct than kids who weren’t.
Dr. Tamara Warner / UF neonatology researcher
“The myth of the crack baby is exactly that, it’s a myth. All the negative expectations we had about these children, at least based on this one study, do not pan out.”
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Of course, researchers aren’t suggesting it’s ok to use crack during pregnancy. In fact, in extreme cases, cocaine use can cause some expectant mothers to die and some pregnancies to fail.
But in general the outcomes aren’t as bad as once feared, and experts say a mother’s mood may actually play a more significant role when it comes to kids and behavioral problems. U-F doctors analyzed measures of depression and self-esteem among caregivers and studied their views on parenting and child development. Children living in nurturing environments with supportive, competent caregivers fared better, even when they had been exposed to cocaine before birth.
But researchers found a high number of mothers reported feeling depressed, possibly because many were living in poverty. These moms were more likely to rate their children as having significant behavioral problems.
Dr. tamara warner / uf neonatology researcher
“There probably are a large number of moms out there who are experiencing depression, perceiving their kids as having lots of problems. So if pediatricians or other people hear about kids that are having behavior problems, we should also look and see if mom is having problems and needs help, too.”
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At the University of Florida Health Science Center, I’m Mike Garrison
