Prominence of withdrawal symptoms in polydrug-exposed infants

The problem of licit and illicit drug use during pregnancy continues to be a major perinatal health issue in this country. It is estimated that 200,00 0 infants are born each year to women who used illegal drugs while they are pregnant. Much information is available regarding the physiologic and neur obehavioral signs and symptoms of withdrawal expressed in infants exposed i n utero to individual substances such as heroin, marijuana, methadone, alco hol, barbiturates, and PCP. However, little information is available relate d to the signs and symptoms of withdrawal observed in infants exposed to ma ny combinations of these drugs prenatally. Additionally, few reports discus s the most prominent signs and symptoms of withdrawal in infants exposed to one or many drugs in utero. This article describes the results of a study that provides new information regarding the most prominent signs and sympto ms of withdrawal exhibited by infants exposed to polydrugs, such as alcohol , opiates, stimulants, and sedatives, during pregnancy.