Cocaine use during pregnancy

In an attempt to replicate the conclusions of an earlier study, there was no association between cocaine use during pregnancy and acute thrombocytopenia in 326 patients (187). There were similar prevalences of thrombocytopenia in cocaine-using women (13/160) and non-using women (11/160) during pregnancy. Thrombocytopenia occurred more often in the third trimester in both groups. 

In a study of 464 inner-city black infants, whose mothers were recruited prenatally based on alcohol and cocaine use during pregnancy, gestational age of less than 38 weeks was significantly correlated with cocaine use in the mothers (283). The infants were tested at 6.5,12, and 13 months of age the cocaine-exposed infants were more excitable, preferred faster frequencies of stimulation, had more difficulty habituating, were more reactive, and showed a greater startle response to noise. Moreover,... 

The prevalence rate of cocaine use during pregnancy is 10-45% in some centers in North America. As cocaine use is increasing and widespread, information on the possible adverse effects secondary to fetal cocaine exposure continues to amass in case reports and studies. 

Handler A, Kistin N, Davis F, Ferre C. Cocaine use during pregnancy perinatal outcomes. Am J Epidemiol 1991 133(8) 818—25. 

Richardson GA, Day NL. Maternal and neonatal effects of moderate cocaine use during pregnancy. Neurotoxicol Teratol 1991 13(4) 455-60. 

Schuler ME, Nair P. Brief report frequency of maternal cocaine use during pregnancy and infant neurobehavioral outcome. J Pediatr Psychol 1999 24(6) 511-4. 

Cocaine use during pregnancy determined by segmental hair analysis on the mother s hair, self-reports, and urinalysis. 

The effects of prenatal maternal cocaine use on neurobehavior have been reported in 2-week old infants (220). The BNBA Scale was administered to the infants of mothers who had a reported high frequency of cocaine use during pregnancy (n = 23, >75th percentile reported days of use) or a low frequency (n = 32, <75th percentile). 

---