STANDARDIZED TEST PERFORMANCE OF CHILDREN WITH A HISTORY OF PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO MULTIPLE DRUGS COCAINE/

Twenty-four children, age 14 to 50 months, with a history of prenatal exposure to multiple drugs including cocaine, were matched by adjusted birth age and sex to 24 children with no history of drug exposure. Al l children had been living in stable, drug-free environments from at l east the age of 11 months. Tests administered included the Sequenced I nventory of Communicative Development-Revised (SICD), the Bayley Scale s of Infant Development, and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revis ed (PPVT-R). Results indicated significant differences between groups and genders on the SICD when age was covaried and between groups on th e Bayley. No groups or genders differed on the PPVT-R. Many (45.8%) of the children in the drug-exposed group qualified for intervention ser vices according to Washington state criteria. Subject characteristics, other than age, did not play a significant role in the findings of gr oup differences. It is concluded that, due to the cumulative effects o f prenatal history, these children should be considered at risk for la nguage delay. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science me.