EFFECTS OF PRENATAL SUBSTANCE EXPOSURE - ALTERED MATURATION OF VISUAL-EVOKED POTENTIALS

We investigated the effects of prenatal substance use on visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Seventy-four children were tested at birth and 1 m onth of age with binocular flash VEPs and at 4, 8, and 18 months of ag e with binocular pattern VEPs. Regressions were run by trimester to as sess the independent effects of substance exposure. Variables included in the regression model were alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, other drug use for each trimester, maternal age, education, income, race, marital status, infant sex, birthweight, and Dubowitz score. Changes in speci fic components of the binocular VEP were both substance-and trimester- specific. First trimester alcohol use was associated with prolonged P- 1 wave latencies at 1 month of age. Prolonged P-1 wave latencies at bi rth and 18 months were associated with tobacco use during each of the three trimesters, at 1 and 18 months with third trimester marijuana me , and at 1 and 18 months with first trimester other illicit drug use. Although these women were moderate substance users during pregnancy, t heir offspring exhibited maturational changes in components of the VEP in the absence of neonatal behavioral disturbances. (C) 1998 by Elsev ier Science Inc. All rights reserved.