COCAINE EFFECTS ON NEONATAL HEART-RATE DYNAMICS - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

Cocaine use by pregnant women has been reported to cause fetal and neo natal morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that human neonates exp osed to cocaine via maternal use during pregnancy might manifest chang es in beat-to-beat heart rate variability, similar to those described in experimental animals. In this preliminary report, we present findin gs from the first systematic analysis of heart rate dynamics in a smal l group of (n = 5) neonates exposed in utero to cocaine compared to ge stationally age matched controls (n = 6) without known drug exposure. Overall heart Tate spectral power during ten minute periods of quiesce nt sleep was significantly reduced (p < 0.01) in the cocaine-exposed g roup, reminiscent of the changes recently reported in an animal model. In two other cocaine-exposed newborns, a quiescent sleep period could not be found. We discuss the special methodological problems associat ed with collection and interpretation of such data.