EFFECT OF INTRAPARTUM MEPERIDINE ON BEHAVIOR OF 3- TO 12-MONTH-OLD INFANT RHESUS-MONKEYS

Potential long-term effects of intrapartum meperidine were studied in rhesus monkey infants whose dams received 0, 2, or 3 mg/kg meperidine, i.v., during labor (n = 5, 5, 3). Spontaneous behavior and cognitive performance were evaluated at 3-12 months of age. Observation of spont aneous behaviors indicated less age-related increase in quiet activiti es in drug-exposed infants. In the discrimination reversal test, drug- exposed infants had more balks (p = 0.008) and fewer correct choices ( p = 0.008) during initial phases of the first reversal. Due to sex dif ferences in the delayed alternation test, evaluation of drug effects o n short-term memory was not possible. In the continuous performance te st, drug-exposed infants performed better (NS) and had fewer omission errors (p = 0.034) during the second half of the test period. These in itial findings suggest that short-term opiate exposure during labor ca n alter later behavior of infant monkeys.