NEONATAL WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME AND BEHAVIORAL-EFFECTS PRODUCED BY MATERNAL DRUG-USE

Over the last two decades, drug and alcohol abuse by pregnant women ha s spread to epidemic proportions. Maternal drug abuse has neurobehavio ral and somatic effects which may be long-lasting and devastating to t he offspring. Opiates, such as heroin and pain killers that contain a narcotic component, are widely abused today. A prominent manifestation of fetal exposure to these drugs is the neonatal withdrawal syndrome, which typically includes wakefulness, jitteriness and other symptoms of cerebral irritability. These, in turn, may interrupt early mother-i nfant interaction, affecting the infant's long-term emotional and cogn itive development. Fetal cocaine exposure may cause neonatal cerebral irritability, changes in habituation responses, reduced head circumfer ence, poor mental development and long-lasting impairment of the brain . Benzodiazepines can cause fetal dysmorphism (including microcephaly) , neurological and behavioral impairments and neonatal withdrawal symp toms. Maternal use of amphetamines may cause neonatal dysphoria and ag itation, as well as long-term lassitude and drowsiness that may result in poor feeding. Fetal exposure to alcohol may cause neonatal withdra wal symptoms, maladaptive behavior in childhood and the fetal alcohol syndrome (including microcephaly). Maternal alcohol consumption is als o a common cause of mental retardation. Fetal exposure to marijuana ma y delay maturation of the visual system and impair memory and verbal p erformance at 2 years of age. The inevitable conclusion is that societ y must seek ways not only to treat, but also to prevent this epidemic. To this end, a hey factor would be to identify potential drug abusing mothers before they reach the stage of prenatal care and educate them regarding the fatal consequences of drug abuse.