TYPES OF ABUSE AND COCAINE USE IN PREGNANT-WOMEN

Previous research has found an association between childhood and adult physical and sexual abuse and substance abuse, but has not examined o r compared specific dimensions of the abuse experience, such as its ag e of onset or the type, severity, or frequency, Women receiving perina tal care (N = 1189) at nn inner-city hospital clinic were systematical ly questioned about their lifetime and current cocaine use and experie nces of abuse. We found an association between a history of abuse abus e in childhood and lifetime and current cocaine use, as well LIS physi cal and sexual abuse during childhood and pregnancy. There was no diff erence in the rates of cocaine use,between women whose onset of abuse was in childhood versus adulthood. Childhood sexual abuse (alone or in combination with physical abuse) was moi-e associated with lifetime c ocaine use than was physical abuse alone. Cocaine use was related to t he severity, but not the frequency of abuse. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.