Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Prenatal methamphetamine exposure and inhibitory control among young school-age children
Chris Derauf1, Linda L Lagasse, Lynne M Smith
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Insights
Heavy prenatal methamphetamine exposure is linked to poorer inhibitory control in young children. This executive function deficit, alongside caregiver distress and child maltreatment, impacts early school-age development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Prenatal substance exposure is a significant concern for child development.
- Inhibitory control is a critical executive function for cognitive and emotional regulation.
- Longitudinal studies are essential to understand the long-term effects of prenatal exposures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal methamphetamine exposure and inhibitory control in 66-month-old children.
- To assess the impact of varying levels of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (heavy, some, none).
- To identify potential confounding factors affecting inhibitory control.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 137 children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure and 130 matched controls.
- Inhibitory control was measured using a computerized Stroop-like task.
- Hierarchical linear modeling analyzed the relationship between exposure levels and task performance, adjusting for multiple covariates.
Main Results:
- Heavy prenatal methamphetamine exposure was associated with reduced accuracy on the Stroop-like task, particularly in incongruent and mixed conditions.
- Caregiver psychological symptoms and child abuse reports also correlated with diminished accuracy.
- These findings suggest a dose-response relationship and the influence of environmental factors.
Conclusions:
- Heavy prenatal methamphetamine exposure contributes to subtle deficits in inhibitory control in early school-aged children.
- Caregiver psychological distress and child maltreatment are significant co-occurring factors associated with impaired inhibitory control.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for children exposed prenatally to methamphetamine.
Objective:
To examine the association between prenatal methamphetamine exposure and inhibitory control in 66-month-old children followed since birth in the multicenter, longitudinal Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle study.
Study Design:
The sample included 137 children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure and 130 comparison children matched for race, birth weight, maternal education, and type of insurance. Inhibitory control, an executive function related to emotional and cognitive control, was assessed using a computerized Stroop-like task developed for young children. Hierarchical linear modeling tested the relationship between the extent of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (heavy, some, or none) and accuracy and reaction time outcomes, adjusting for prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana; age; sex; socioeconomic status; caregiver IQ and psychological symptoms; Child Protective Services report of physical or sexual abuse; and site.
Results:
In adjusted analyses, heavy prenatal methamphetamine exposure was related to reduced accuracy in both the incongruent and mixed conditions on the Stroop-like task. Caregiver psychological symptoms and Child Protective Services report of physical or sexual abuse were associated with reduced accuracy in the incongruent and mixed consitions and in the incongruent conditions, respectively.
Conclusion:
Heavy prenatal methamphetamine exposure, along with caregiver psychological distress and child maltreatment, are related to subtle deficits in inhibitory control during the early school-age years.
