heroin and Child-Behavior-Disorders

This paper reviews the literature regarding the development of children up to age 6 years who were born to mothers addicted to heroin or methadone. These children are compared with children born to nonaddicted mothers to determine whether there were any differences between the two groups related to maternal drug addiction. This paper discusses the obstetrical and medical complications associated with maternal drug addiction and their effects on the prognosis of the infant at delivery.

Topics: Child; Child Behavior Disorders; Child, Preschool; Developmental Disabilities; Female; Heroin; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Methadone; Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; Pregnancy

This paper reviews neonatal and developmental behavioral characteristics of children born to heroin- and methadone-addicted women. Evidence of behavioral effects is clearer and more consistent for the neonatal period than in later infancy and childhood. It has not been shown that additional risk for psychological disturbance in childhood is contributed by passive addiction in utero. Methodologic problems in this literature are described and suggestions for strategies and directions in research are offered.

Topics: Child Behavior Disorders; Developmental Disabilities; Heroin; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Methadone; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

Topics: Amphetamine; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Catecholamines; Child; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders; Child, Preschool; Chlorpromazine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dextroamphetamine; Female; Heroin; Humans; Hyperkinesis; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Learning; Liver; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Phenothiazines; Placebos; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Psychopharmacology; Reticular Formation; Schizophrenia, Childhood; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

Topics: Amphetamine; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Catecholamines; Child; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders; Child, Preschool; Chlorpromazine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dextroamphetamine; Female; Heroin; Humans; Hyperkinesis; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Learning; Liver; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Phenothiazines; Placebos; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Psychopharmacology; Reticular Formation; Schizophrenia, Childhood; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

Morphometric cerebral characteristics were studied in children with prenatal poly-substance exposure (n=14) compared to controls (n=14) without such exposure. Ten of the substance-exposed children were born to mothers who used opiates (heroin) throughout the pregnancy. Groups were compared across 16 brain measures: cortical gray matter, cerebral white matter, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, accumbens area, caudate, putamen, pallidum, brainstem, cerebellar cortex, cerebellar white matter, lateral ventricles, inferior lateral ventricles, and the 3rd and 4th ventricles. In addition, continuous measurement of thickness across the entire cortical mantle was performed. Volumetric characteristics were correlated with ability and questionnaire assessments 2 years prior to scan. Compared to controls, the substance-exposed children had smaller intracranial and brain volumes, including smaller cerebral cortex, amygdala, accumbens area, putamen, pallidum, brainstem, cerebellar cortex, cerebellar white matter, and inferior lateral ventricles, and thinner cortex of the right anterior cingulate and lateral orbitofrontal cortex. Pallidum and putamen appeared especially reduced in the subgroup exposed to opiates. Only volumes of the right anterior cingulate, the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the accumbens area, showed some association with ability and questionnaire measures. The sample studied is rare and hence small, so conclusions cannot be drawn with certainty. Morphometric group differences were observed, but associations with previous behavioral assessment were generally weak. Some of the volumetric differences, particularly thinner cortex in part of the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex, may be moderately involved in cognitive and behavioral difficulties more frequently experienced by opiate and poly-substance-exposed children.

Topics: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Brain; Cerebral Cortex; Child; Child Behavior Disorders; Child, Preschool; Developmental Disabilities; Dominance, Cerebral; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heroin; Humans; Illicit Drugs; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Intelligence; Internal-External Control; Learning Disabilities; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Narcotics; Neuropsychological Tests; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Reference Values; Social Adjustment; Statistics as Topic; Wechsler Scales

Infants of mothers who used methadone, heroin, cocaine and other drugs during pregnancy were compared with a group of control infants over the first 30 mths of life. Results of repeated examinations with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development showed a difference between the groups in mental development. No differences were found in a non-verbal version of the mental scale, but infants of drug dependent mothers seem to have specific difficulties in early language development. In psychomotor development, in behaviour during testing and on a questionnaire on activity, infants of drug dependent mothers did not differ from the comparison children.

Topics: Child Behavior Disorders; Child of Impaired Parents; Child, Preschool; Cocaine; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heroin; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Language Development Disorders; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Methadone; Mother-Child Relations; Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; Risk Factors

Topics: Adult; Child Behavior Disorders; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heroin; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Methadone; Pregnancy; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

Topics: Age Factors; Amphetamine; Cannabis; Child; Child Behavior Disorders; Family Therapy; Group Processes; Heroin; Hospitalization; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Humans; Male; New York; Parent-Child Relations; Psychotherapy; Social Behavior; Substance-Related Disorders