MATERNAL POLYDRUG USE INCLUDING COCAINE AND POSTNATAL INFANT SLEEP ARCHITECTURE - PRELIMINARY-OBSERVATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RESPIRATORYCONTROL AND BEHAVIOR

Twelve-hour overnight pneumocardiograms were assessed for sleep archit ecture and sleep efficiency in two groups of healthy term newborn infa nts: a group exposed prenatally to cocaine alone or in combination wit h other drugs and a non-exposed group. Sleep was differentiated from w akefulness by an increase in heart rate, an increase in or variation i n the duration and amplitude of the respiration and increased artifact s on the heart rate channel. Quiet and active sleep were determined by the regularity or irregularity of heart rate and respiration. In a su b-set of infants, the number of arousals during active sleep was calcu lated. Overall significance was confirmed by ANOVA followed by paired comparisons using the Student's-test. When compared to non-exposed inf ants within the first week of life, infants exposed prenatally to coca ine alone or in combination with other drugs demonstrated more wakeful ness and less sleep (P < 0.05), more frequent arousals during active s leep (P < 0.01), and the tendency of a higher proportion of active sle ep compared to quiet sleep, These findings may have implications to bo th behavioral and respiratory control findings associated with prenata l cocaine exposure.