COCAINE - A NEONATAL PERSPECTIVE

This paper focuses on cocaine misuse as it impacts on neonates born at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. The majority of infants of cocaine-using mothers (ICAM) appear clinically normal and pass thro ugh the ''normal nursery.'' However, die longer hospital stay for the smaller, sicker ICAMs means that many cocaine-exposed sick infants are in the hospital at any time. The misperceptions of the pregnant cocai ne-misusing woman often cause the ICAM to be born prematurely. The pre maturity then superimposes other potential threats on the infant. Furt her, the environmental chaos into which these mothers and infants retu rn following discharge may also contribute to the difficulties seen am ong these children. Finally, there are unanswered questions that have to be confronted by the hospital staff. These include ethical question s related to the ''costs'' of care to the cocaine-exposed infant.