PRENATALLY EXPOSED TO COCAINE - DOES THE LABEL MATTER

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the label pr enatally exposed to cocaine has an effect on how early intervention pe rsonnel rate the behavior of toddlers. One hundred seventy-nine subjec ts were shown videotape segments of two 24-month-old male children. On e had been exposed prenatally to cocaine, the other had not. The subje cts were randomly divided among three conditions. In one condition sub jects were told that both children were cocaine-exposed; in a second c ondition they were told that neither was cocaine-exposed, and in a thi rd condition they were told that one child was exposed and that the ot her child was not. After viewing each segment subjects were asked to r ate each child, using a rating scale developed for this study. It was hypothesized that children would be rated more favorably when subjects were told that they were not cocaine-exposed and less favorably when they were told that they were exposed. The hypothesis was upheld. Resu lts are discussed within the context of other literature pointing to t he need for more data concerning the long-term effects of prenatal coc aine exposure. Caution is suggested in the use of the label cocaine-ex posed, especially in light of the results of this study.