Cocaine Exposure and Children: The Meaning of Subtle Effects

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 282; no. 5389; pp. 633 - 634
• Main Authors: Lester, Barry M., LaGasse, Linda L., Seifer, Ronald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for the Advancement of Science 23-10-1998; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Brain damage; Child; Child health services; Child Language; Children; Children & youth; Children of drug addicts; Cocaine; Cocaine - adverse effects; Cocaine-Related Disorders - therapy; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition Disorders - chemically induced; Cognition Disorders - prevention & control; Control Groups; Cost efficiency; Cost estimates; Costs and Cost Analysis; Drug abusers; Drug addicts; Education, Special - economics; Effect Size; Expressive Language; Female; Fetal cocaine exposure; Humans; Intellect; Intelligence (Psychology); Intelligence - drug effects; Intelligence levels; Intelligence quotient; Language Disorders - chemically induced; Language Disorders - prevention & control; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Policy Forum; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - therapy; Prenatal development; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Preschool Children; Receptive Language; School age children; Special Education; Standardized Tests
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.282.5389.633

A meta-analysis of studies on the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure revealed decrements in children's cognitive development that are smaller than expected but still significant.