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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Prenatal drug exposure and maternal and infant feeding behaviour

L L LaGasse1, D Messinger, B M Lester

  • 1Brown Medical School, Women & Infant's Hospital and Bradley Hospital, Providence, RI, USA. University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA. linda_lagasse@brown.edu

Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
|August 26, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal opiate exposure in infants led to more feeding problems and heightened arousal, with mothers also showing increased feeding activity. Cocaine exposure did not impact infant feeding but affected maternal engagement.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal development
  • Maternal-infant interaction
  • Substance exposure effects

Background:

  • Prenatal exposure to substances like cocaine and opiates can impact infant development.
  • Understanding feeding behaviors and maternal interactions is crucial for assessing infant well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate feeding difficulties and maternal behavior in infants exposed prenatally to cocaine and/or opiates.
  • To differentiate effects of cocaine versus opiate exposure on infant feeding and maternal interaction.

Main Methods:

  • Part of the Maternal Lifestyle Study, analyzing videotaped feeding sessions of 1-month-old infants.
  • Included infants exposed to cocaine, opiates, both, and matched controls.
  • Coded infant sucking, arousal, feeding problems, and maternal activity/interaction.

Main Results:

  • No significant effects of cocaine exposure on infant feeding measures were observed.
  • Cocaine-exposed infants' mothers showed less engagement and shorter feeding sessions.
  • Opiate-exposed infants exhibited prolonged sucking, fewer pauses, more feeding problems, and increased arousal.
  • Mothers of opiate-exposed infants displayed increased activity, independent of infant feeding issues.

Conclusions:

  • Feeding issues in cocaine-exposed infants may stem from interaction quality, not direct exposure effects.
  • Opiate-exposed infants and their mothers demonstrated heightened arousal and feeding behaviors.
  • Findings highlight distinct impacts of prenatal cocaine and opiate exposure on infant-mother feeding dynamics.
Abstract

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