PREDICTING THE DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME OF 2-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN BORN EXPOSED TO METHADONE - IMPACT OF SOCIAL-ENVIRONMENTAL RISK-FACTORS

Suggests that conclusions drawn concerning the development of drug-exp osed children have been too extreme in either condemning the children as damaged or proclaiming them unaffected Results from a longitudinal study of the development of methadone-exposed and comparison-group chi ldren are presented. Social-environmental risk factors, sex of child, and maternal communication are used to predict the children's developm ental outcome at age 2 years. No significant differences in outcomes b etween the groups were found. For the methadone group only, cumulative environmental risk factors predicted poorer developmental outcome. We note that the problematic neurobehavioral profile of some drug-expose d children can result from either biological insult associated with dr ug exposure or environmental risk factors including maternal communica tion. The importance of early intervention for drug-exposed and compar ison children and their families is emphasized.