Objective To examine associations between amounts of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium and cognitive development in school-aged children exposed to alcohol and drugs in utero. Study design ...A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of children, primarily African American and of low socioeconomic status, that was recruited at birth. FAEEs were quantified with gas chromatography via a flame ionization detector. Meconium was analyzed for FAEEs in 216 newborns; 191 of these infants were assessed for IQ at ages 9, 11, and 15 years with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Fourth Edition. Results Longitudinal mixed model analyses indicated that, after we controlled for maternal and child covariates, greater concentrations of FAEEs (ethyl myristate, ethyl oleate, ethyl linoleate, and ethyl linolenate) were associated with lower Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Fourth Edition Verbal Comprehension Index, Working Memory Index, and Full-Scale IQ scores. Associations of FAEEs with Verbal Comprehension Index, Working Memory Index, and Full-Scale IQ did not vary over time. No associations of FAEEs with Perceptual Reasoning and Processing Speed Indices were found. Conclusion Elevated levels of FAEEs in meconium are potential markers for identifying newborns at risk for poor cognitive development related to prenatal alcohol exposure.
Abstract Introduction Women with substance use disorders enter treatment with limited personal network resources and reduced recovery support. This study examined the impact of personal networks on ...substance use by 12 months post treatment intake. Methods Data were collected from 284 women who received substance abuse treatment. At 6 month follow up, composition, support availability and structure of personal networks were examined. Substance use was measured by women's report of any use of alcohol or drugs. Hierarchical multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine the contribution of personal network characteristics on substance use by 12 months post treatment intake. Results Higher numbers of substance using alters (network members) and more densely connected networks at 6 month follow-up were associated with an increased likelihood of substance use by 12 months post treatment intake. A greater number of isolates in women's networks was associated with decreased odds of substance use. Women who did not use substances by 12 months post treatment intake had more non-users among their isolates at 6 months compared to those who used substances. No association was found between support availability and likelihood of substance use. Conclusions Both network composition and structure could be relevant foci for network interventions e.g. helping women change network composition by reducing substance users as well as increasing network connections. Isolates who are not substance users may be a particular strength to help women cultivate within their network to promote sustained sobriety post treatment.
Highlights • Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is related to sexual intercourse before age 15. • Externalizing behavior problems mediated PCE effects in female adolescents. • Blood lead during ...preschool years was also related to early sexual intercourse.
Highlights • Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may increase adolescent substance use. • Externalizing behavior mediated PCE effects on tobacco and substance abuse disorder. • Effects of PCE on ...marijuana use was more pronounced for boys than girls. • Exposure to violence was also related to increased teen substance use.
Highlights • Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) was related to adolescent sexual risk. • PCE is related to externalizing behavior, which increased early sexual intercourse. • Substance use was related ...to early sexual intercourse and sexual risk behaviors. • Reducing maternal drug use may mitigate offspring sexual risk behavior.
Structural equation modeling was used to simultaneously examine maternal psychological distress and social support as mediators linking maternal childhood trauma (MCT) to both maternal and ...child-reported behavior at 9 years of age in 231 birth mother-child dyads, who were primarily poor, urban, and African American. One half of the mothers (n = 116) reported a history of childhood abuse and neglect. Although MCT was associated with both increased maternal psychological distress and limited social support at 6 years, the pathway to child behavior ratings at 9 years was informant dependent. MCT influenced maternal ratings of her child’s behavior, with some effects mediated through psychological distress. MCT indirectly influenced children’s self-perception of behavior through maternal experience of social support. Maternal ratings and child self-ratings of child behavior problems were moderately correlated. No significant gender interaction was found. Findings suggest a need for understanding trauma histories in the lives of mothers who seek assistance for parenting and child behavior problems, especially in urban low income communities. Interventions targeting both increasing maternal social support and reducing psychological distress may promote competency and resiliency among children for whom MCT poses a risk to optimal development.
Highlights • Higher levels of trauma symptomatology were associated with both a negative, critical quality and less closeness in network relationships. • Trauma symptoms were not related to the ...number of network members reported as providing emotional, concrete, or sobriety support. • Effects of trauma symptoms on the support availability in the network and the quality of network relationships were consistent over the follow-up period.
Introduction
To investigate patterns of divergence in adolescent adjustment, this study examined the co‐occurring patterns of adolescents' individual assets (e.g., school engagement, values) and ...substance use, and whether the co‐occurring patterns were associated with later functioning in emerging adulthood.
Methods
Participants were 358 (54% females), predominantly African American, urban adolescents, recruited at birth for a prospective study on the effects of prenatal substance exposure in the Midwest United States. Individual assets, using the Developmental Assets Profile, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana), via biologic assays and self‐report, and substance use‐related problems were assessed at age 15 years. High‐school completion, substance use disorder, mental health symptoms, and legal problems were assessed at age 21 years.
Results
Latent class analysis identified five classes as follows: high assets with low substance use (C1, 10.2%); moderate assets with low substance use (C2, 28.7%); low assets with low substance use (C3, 32%); moderate assets with high substance use (C4, 9.4%); and low assets with high substance use (C5, 19.2%). Despite similar levels of assets, adolescents in C5 reported more life adversities (suboptimal caregiving environment, daily hassles, non‐birth parents' care) than those in C3. C4 and C5 reported more substance use disorder at age 21 years than the three low substance use classes; adolescents in C5 were less likely to complete high school than those in C2. More females in C5 reported greater mental health symptoms than those in C1 and C3, and criminal justice involvement than those in C1.
Conclusions
The current findings underscore the significance of substance use in adolescence in disrupting healthy transition to adulthood, especially among females in the context of low individual assets.
Linking prenatal drug exposures to both infant behavior and adult cognitive outcomes may improve early interventions.
To assess whether neonatal physical, neurobehavioral, and infant cognitive ...measures mediate the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and adult perceptual reasoning IQ.
This study used data from a longitudinal, prospective birth cohort study with follow-up from 1994 to 2018 until offspring were 21 years post partum. A total of 384 (196 PCE and 188 not exposed to cocaine NCE) infants and mothers were screened for cocaine or polydrug use. Structural equation modeling was performed from June to November 2023.
Prenatal exposures to cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco assessed through urine and meconium analyses and maternal self-report.
Head circumference, neurobehavioral assessment, Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence score, Wechsler Perceptual Reasoning IQ, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) score, and blood lead level.
Among the 384 mothers in the study, the mean (SD) age at delivery was 27.7 (5.3) years (range, 18-41 years), 375 of 383 received public assistance (97.9%) and 336 were unmarried (87.5%). Birth head circumference (standardized estimate for specific path association, -0.05, SE = 0.02; P = .02) and 1-year Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) (standardized estimate for total of the specific path association, -0.05, SE = 0.02; P = .03) mediated the association of PCE with Wechsler Perceptual Reasoning IQ, controlling for HOME score and other substance exposures. Abnormal results on the neurobehavioral assessment were associated with birth head circumference (β = -0.20, SE = 0.08; P = .01). Bayley Psychomotor Index (β = 0.39, SE = 0.05; P < .001) and Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence score (β = 0.16, SE = 0.06; P = .01) at 6.5 months correlated with MDI at 12 months.
In this cohort study, a negative association of PCE with adult perceptual reasoning IQ was mediated by early physical and behavioral differences, after controlling for other drug and environmental factors. Development of infant behavioral assessments to identify sequelae of prenatal teratogens early in life may improve long-term outcomes and public health awareness.
Abstract The effect of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on externalizing behavior and substance use related problems at 15 years of age was examined. Participants consisted of 358 adolescents (183 ...PCE, 175 non-cocaine exposed (NCE)), primarily African–American and of low socioeconomic status, prospectively enrolled in a longitudinal study from birth. Regression analyses indicated that the amount of PCE was associated with higher externalizing behavioral problems ( β = .15, p = .02). Adolescents with PCE were also 2.8 times (95% CI = 1.38–5.56) more likely to have substance use related problems than their NCE counterparts. No differences between PCE adolescents in non-kinship adoptive/foster care ( n = 44) and PCE adolescents in maternal/relative care ( n = 139) were found in externalizing behavior or in the likelihood of substance use related problems. Findings demonstrate teratologic effects of PCE persisting into adolescence. PCE is a reliable marker for the potential development of problem behaviors in adolescence, including substance use related problems.
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