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Longitudinal cognitive development of children born to mothers with opioid and polysubstance use

Egil Nygaard1, Vibeke Moe2, Kari Slinning2

  • 11] Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway [2] Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway (RBUP), Oslo, Norway.

Pediatric Research
|May 16, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal opioid and polysubstance exposure impacts children's cognitive development long-term. Cognitive deficits in exposed boys remained stable, while girls showed increasing differences over time compared to controls.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Prenatal exposure to opioids and polysubstances is linked to neuropsychological issues in children.
  • Longitudinal data on the long-term cognitive effects of prenatal substance exposure is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal trajectory of cognitive functioning in children with prenatal opioid and polysubstance exposure.
  • To determine if cognitive deficits associated with prenatal substance exposure wane, persist, or increase over time.

Main Methods:

  • Cognitive functioning was assessed in 72 children with prenatal exposure and 58 controls at ages 1, 2, 3, 4½, and 8½ years.
  • The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised was used to evaluate IQ at 8½ years.

Main Results:

  • Exposed boys exhibited consistently lower cognitive functioning than controls.
  • Cognitive differences between exposed girls and controls increased over time.
  • At 8½ years, exposed children had significantly lower IQ scores, particularly those placed in adoptive/foster care before age 1 whose mothers used heroin.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive effects of prenatal substance exposure do not necessarily wane and may increase over time.
  • These effects persist even in children with minimal postnatal environmental risk, such as those in adoptive/foster care.
Abstract

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