This preliminary study examined differences between cocaine-dependent
pregnant women who received ''baseline'' drug treatment (N = 13) and t
hose requiring additional ''intensive'' treatment (N = 9). Baseline dr
ug treatment consisted of weekly individual counseling sessions. Inten
sive treatment, in the form of contingency management procedures, was
added for patients who showed no reduction in cocaine use during the f
irst 4 weeks of treatment. There were no differences between the two g
roups in terms of demographic and pregnancy characteristics or history
of cocaine use. Significantly more patients in the baseline treatment
group were cocaine-free at intake and had a higher rate of compliance
with scheduled prenatal clinical visits. These findings may indicate
a decision to cease cocaine use prior to entering treatment, and a hig
h degree of motivation to remain drug-free. Despite the small sample s
ize, the finding that a substantial proportion of cocaine-dependent pr
egnant women remain cocaine-free during treatment is encouraging.