Tl. Hawley et al., CHILDREN OF ADDICTED MOTHERS - EFFECTS OF THE CRACK EPIDEMIC ON THE CAREGIVING ENVIRONMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOLERS, American journal of orthopsychiatry, 65(3), 1995, pp. 364-379
Comparison of 25 addicted mothers and 25 nonaddicted controls revealed
a high incidence of emotional and physical neglect among the addict g
roup, as well as greater tendency toward depression and more chaotic c
hild-rearing environments. A separate study compared the cognitive, la
nguage, and emotional development of 20 cocaine-exposed preschool chil
dren and 24 nonexposed children. Although few differences in cognitive
and language development were found group differences in emotional an
d behavioral status, assessed through maternal report, were significan
t. Directions for future research are suggested.