Effects of intrauterine substance and postnatal violence exposure on aggression in children.

During the cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s, many expressed fears that children with intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE) would grow up to be unusually violent. The present study examines the relationship of caregiver reports of school-age children's aggressive behavior with IUCE and postnatal exposure to violence. Respondents were 140 low-income, primarily African American children, ages 8-11, and each child's current primary caregiver from a longitudinal study evaluating potential long term sequelae of IUCE. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the independent and interactive effects of level of IUCE (None (n = 69), Lighter (n = 47), Heavier (n = 24)) and exposure to violence (Violence Exposure Scale for Children-Revised) on aggressive behavior (Child Behavior Checklist), while also controlling for other intrauterine substance exposures and additional contextual factors. Children's self-reported exposure to violence was significantly positively associated with caregivers' reports of aggressive behavior (ß = 2.17, P = .05), as was concurrent caregiver's psychiatric distress (ß = .15, P = .003). However, neither IUCE nor its interaction with exposure to violence showed a significant association with aggressive behavior. Findings suggest the importance of postnatal social environment rather than IUCE in predicting aggressive behavior in childhood.

Associations of household unmet basic needs and health outcomes among very low birth weight children.

OBJECTIVE: We examined associations of past year household hardships (housing, energy, food, and healthcare hardships) with postnatal growth, developmental risk, health status, and hospitalization among children 0-36 months born with very low birth weight (VLBW) and the extent that these relationships differed by receipt of child supplemental security income (SSI). STUDY DESIGN: We examined cross-sectional data from 695 families. Growth was measured as weight-for-age z-score change. Developmental risk was defined as ≥1 concerns on the "Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status" screening tool. Child health status was categorized as excellent/good vs. fair/poor. Hospitalizations excluded birth hospitalizations. RESULTS: Compared to children with no household hardships, odds of developmental risk were greater with 1 hardship (aOR 2.0 [1.26, 3.17]) and ≥2 hardships (aOR) 1.85 [1.18, 2.91], and odds of fair/poor child health (aOR) 1.59 [1.02, 2.49] and hospitalizations (aOR) 1.49 [1.00, 2.20] were greater among children with ≥2 hardships. In stratified analysis, associations of hardships and developmental risk were present for households with no child SSI and absent for households with child SSI. CONCLUSION: Household hardships were associated with developmental risk, fair/poor health status, and hospitalizations among VLBW children. Child SSI may be protective against developmental risk among children living in households with hardships.

US Housing insecurity and the health of very young children.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between housing insecurity and the health of very young children. METHODS: Between 1998 and 2007, we interviewed 22,069 low-income caregivers with children younger than 3 years who were seen in 7 US urban medical centers. We assessed food insecurity, child health status, developmental risk, weight, and housing insecurity for each child's household. Our indicators for housing insecurity were crowding (> 2 people/bedroom or>1 family/residence) and multiple moves (≥ 2 moves within the previous year). RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, crowding was associated with household food insecurity compared with the securely housed (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18, 1.43), as were multiple moves (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.59, 2.28). Crowding was also associated with child food insecurity (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.34, 1.63), and so were multiple moves (AOR = 2.56; 95% CI = 2.13, 3.08). Multiple moves were associated with fair or poor child health (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI =1.25, 1.76), developmental risk (AOR 1.71; 95% CI = 1.33, 2.21), and lower weight-for-age z scores (-0.082 vs -0.013; P= .02). CONCLUSIONS: Housing insecurity is associated with poor health, lower weight, and developmental risk among young children. Policies that decrease housing insecurity can promote the health of young children and should be a priority.

Pregnant women in treatment for opioid use disorder: Material hardships and psychosocial factors.

BACKGROUND: While pregnant women in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) face considerable challenges, common material hardships- food insecurity and housing instability, known to negatively impact maternal-child health, have been inadequately researched within this population. This study describes food/housing hardships and evaluates associations with key psychosocial factors. METHODS: A single-site prospective study, 100 3rd trimester women receiving prenatal care and medication-assisted treatment for OUD were interviewed, including screening for food/housing hardships, depressive symptoms, intimate partner vulnerability; and self-reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) history. We developed a three-level categorization combining food/housing screening outcomes: 1) "both insecure"; 2) "either secure"; and 3) "both secure". Bivariate analyses and linear path analyses evaluated associations among psychosocial variables using "both secure" as the referent group. RESULTS: Of 100 women, 56% reported food insecurity; 61% housing instability; 42% "both insecure"; 33% "either insecure"; 25% "both secure". In unadjusted food/housing groups "either insecure" and "both insecure" reported significantly greater depressive symptoms; "both insecure" additionally reported significantly greater intimate partner vulnerability. Path analyses adjusted for PTSD and compared with "both secure" (adjusted mean = 6.2): "either insecure" had greater depressive symptom scores (adjusted means = 9.8, p = .01) while "both insecure" had greater depressive scores (adjusted means 10.5, p = .002). In addition, "both insecure" had a clinically important 5.7 point greater intimate partner vulnerability score. There were no significant interactions between food/housing and PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Even in women receiving prenatal care and treatment for OUD, food/housing material hardships and associated psychosocial factors are of major concern, requiring screening and remediation.

Could prenatal food insecurity influence neonatal abstinence syndrome severity?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In general populations, prenatal food insecurity negatively affects maternal and infant health. Our aim was to estimate and test the association between prenatal food insecurity and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) severity. DESIGN/SETTING: Single-site prospective cohort design. Women receiving opioid agonist treatment with methadone or buprenorphine were interviewed (including demographics and food insecurity) during the third trimester at the combined obstetric/opioid use disorder treatment clinic at Boston Medical Center (BMC) in Boston, MA, USA, a large urban safety-net hospital. During postnatal hospitalization, infants were assessed and treated per hospital NAS protocol. Maternal clinic and infant hospitalization data were abstracted from medical records. PARTICIPANTS: Women (n = 75; aged ≥ 18 years; fluent English; singleton pregnancy; intending to deliver at BMC and maintain parental custody) receiving care in the specialized clinic were study eligible (2013-15). Women who delivered infants < 36 weeks gestational age or required prolonged newborn intensive care unit stay were excluded from analyses. PRIMARY MEASUREMENTS: Predictors: validated two-question Hunger Vital Sign™ food insecurity screener; outcomes: extent of NAS pharmacological treatment and length of hospital stay (LOS) for NAS. FINDINGS: Of the mother-infant dyads, 61 (81%) infants were treated pharmacologically for NAS. Mean hospital LOS was 19.9 (standard deviation = 9.4) days. Maternal food insecurity (n = 43, 57.3%) was associated with infant NAS pharmacological treatment in logistic regression analyses individually adjusted for prenatal: maternal depression [adjusted odds ratios (aOR) = 3.69 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.02-13.43, P = 0.05)] and methadone agonist treatment [aOR = 4.17 (95% CI = 1.05-16.50, P = 0.04)]. Associations of food insecurity and LOS were inconclusive regardless of covariate control (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Among women receiving opioid agonist treatment, prenatal food insecurity appears to be associated with increased risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome pharmacological treatment.

Do Differences in Learning Performance Precede or Follow Initiation of Marijuana Use?

OBJECTIVE: Studies examining cross-sectional associations between age at marijuana initiation and memory deficits yield mixed results. Because longitudinal data are sparse, controversy continues regarding whether these deficits reflect premorbid risk factors or sequelae of early marijuana initiation; here, we examine this question in a community sample followed since birth. METHOD: Masked examiners administered four subtests of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML/WRAML2) from childhood until young adulthood to 119 urban, predominantly African American participants. Multivariable generalized estimated equation models measured longitudinal trajectories of learning. Participants were grouped as never users (n = 26), later initiators (≥16 years old; n = 31), and earlier initiators of marijuana use (n = 62). RESULTS: Marijuana onset groups did not significantly differ on WRAML scaled scores or IQ in childhood, nor did they differ on WRAML scaled scores in adolescence. On most WRAML2 subtests, these groups did not significantly differ in young adulthood after taking into account sex and childhood IQ. However, on Story Memory, later initiators attained higher scaled scores in young adulthood, even after including additional covariates of anxiety, depression, postsecondary education, past-month marijuana use, and past-week high-risk drinking. They showed a significantly more positive trajectory than never users that was driven by within-group improvement after adolescence. Earlier initiators showed within-group decline in Story Memory after adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in learning following earlier initiation of marijuana use may not be solely attributable to premorbid deficits.

Housing Instability Among Families With Young Children With Special Health Care Needs.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Children with special health care needs (SHCNs) have significant medical and educational expenses affecting household finances. Housing instability can be detrimental to family well-being. Our objective was to evaluate housing instability in households of children with and without SHCNs. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys (2013-2017) in English and Spanish of caregivers with children <4 years old were conducted at 5 hospitals. The children with SHCN screener and caregiver report of child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receipt were used to categorize children into the following groups: (1) no SHCNs, (2) SHCNs and no SSI, or (3) SHCNs and receiving SSI. Housing instability was determined by positive endorsement of ≥1 adverse circumstance: behind on rent or mortgage, or moving twice or more in the past year, or homelessness in the child's lifetime. Analyses used multivariable logistic regression models, adjusting for demographics and housing subsidies. RESULTS: Of 14 188 children, 80% had no SHCNs, 16% had SHCNs and no SSI, and 4% had SHCNs and received SSI. Compared with the no-SHCNs group, the SHCNs-no-SSI group but not the SHCN-receiving-SSI group experienced significantly greater adjusted odds of being behind on rent or mortgage (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.28 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-1.44]; P < .001), multiple moves (aOR 1.29 [95% CI 1.05-1.59]; P = .01), and homelessness (aOR 1.44 [95% CI 1.20-1.72]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Families of children with SHCNs are at risk for housing instability. Child SSI receipt decreased the risk of housing instability among families of children with SHCNs. Protecting families of young children with SHCNs from housing instability is an important investment.

Longitudinal association between infant disorganized attachment and childhood posttraumatic stress symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether children with a history of disorganized attachment in infancy were more likely than children without a history of disorganized attachment to exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at school age following trauma exposure. The sample consisted of 78 8.5-year-old children from a larger, ongoing prospective study evaluating the effects of intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE) on children's growth and development from birth to adolescence. At the 12-month visit, children's attachment status was scored from videotapes of infant-caregiver dyads in Ainsworth's strange situation. At the 8.5-year visit, children were administered the Violence Exposure Scale-Revised, a child-report trauma exposure inventory, and the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents by an experienced clinical psychologist masked to children's attachment status and IUCE status. Sixteen of the 78 children (21%) were classified as insecure-disorganized/insecure-other at 12 months. Poisson regressions covarying IUCE, gender, and continuity of maternal care indicated that disorganized attachment status at 12 months, compared with nondisorganized attachment status, significantly predicted both higher avoidance cluster PTSD symptoms and higher reexperiencing cluster PTSD symptoms. These findings suggest that the quality of early dyadic relationships may be linked to differences in children's later development of posttraumatic stress symptoms following a traumatic event.

Frequency and associated risk factors of non-fatal overdose reported by pregnant women with opioid use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about opioid overdose or naloxone access among pregnant women. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of non-fatal overdose, risk factors for overdose, and naloxone access among third trimester women in treatment for opioid use disorder. METHODS: We collected baseline data from a case management parental-support intervention study. To explore the association of variables with past year overdose, we used Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Chi square or Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Among 99 participants, 14% (95% CI 7-21%) reported past year overdose and 67% (95% CI 57-76%) had received overdose education and a naloxone kit. Younger age was the only variable associated with past year overdose. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, past year non-fatal overdose was common, younger age was a risk factor, and most participants had received a naloxone kit. Further work is needed to understand whether younger age is a risk factor in the general population of pregnant women with opioid use disorder and to identify other potential risk factors for overdose in this population.

Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) correlations with prospective violence assessment in a longitudinal cohort.

Retrospective recall-based measures administered to adults, like the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), are commonly used to determine experiences of childhood trauma in the home. However, the CTQ has not been compared with prospective measures of childhood violence exposure, whether at home or in the community. We evaluated the relationships between young adults' responses to the CTQ and their prospective self-reports of exposure to violence in childhood and adolescence. Participants were 127 (93% African American, 47% male) urban young adults in a longitudinal birth cohort study examining effects of prenatal substance exposure and environmental factors on development. Participants completed the Violence Exposure Scale for Children-Revised (VEX-R), a 21-item self-report measure of experience of/witness to interpersonal violence, administered face to face at 9, 10, and 11 years using cartoon pictures, and via audio-computer assisted self-interview at 12, 14, and 16 years. Participants also completed the CTQ, a 28-item, 5-scale screening measure, during a young-adult follow-up (ages 18-23). Using Pearson Correlation coefficients, VEX-R total scores significantly correlated with the sum of CTQ scales, r = .33, p < .01, and 3 (physical, emotional, and sexual abuse) of the 5 CTQ subscales, showing a moderate linear association. This study suggests that the CTQ serves as a reasonable retrospective assessment of prospectively ascertained childhood trauma exposure. The differences may be accounted for by disparities in domains assessed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Timing and Duration of Pre- and Postnatal Homelessness and the Health of Young Children.

: media-1vid110.1542/5804912861001PEDS-VA_2017-4254Video Abstract OBJECTIVES: Prenatal homelessness is associated with elevated risks of adverse neonatal outcomes. How the timing and duration of homelessness during pregnancy and/or a child's early life relate to postnatal child health is unclear. METHODS: We interviewed 20 571 low-income caregivers of children <4 years old in urban pediatric clinics and/or emergency departments in 5 US cities. Categories of homelessness timing were prenatal, postnatal, both, or never; postnatal duration was >6 months or <6 months. RESULTS: After controlling for birth outcomes and other potential confounders, compared with never-homeless children, children who were homeless both pre- and postnatally were at the highest risk of the following: postneonatal hospitalizations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.41; confidence interval [CI] 1.18-1.69), fair or poor child health (aOR 1.97; CI 1.58-2.47), and developmental delays (aOR 1.48; CI 1.16-1.89). There was no significant association with risk of underweight (aOR 0.95; CI 0.76-1.18) or overweight status (aOR 1.07; CI 0.84-1.37). Children <1 year old with >6 months of homelessness versus those who were never homeless had high risks of fair or poor health (aOR 3.13; CI 2.05-4.79); children 1 to 4 years old who were homeless for >6 months were at risk for fair or poor health (aOR 1.89; CI 1.38-2.58). CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for birth outcomes, the stress of prenatal and postnatal homelessness was found to be associated with an increased risk of adverse pediatric health outcomes relative to those who were never homeless. Interventions to stabilize young families as quickly as possible in adequate and affordable housing may result in improved pediatric health outcomes.

Mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Young Children's Development.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined how mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) relate to their children's developmental risk and assessed how the association is mediated through mothers' depressive symptoms and fair/poor health. METHODS: Mothers of children aged between 4 months and 4 years were recruited from the emergency department of a children's hospital between March 2012 and June 2015 and interviewed about ACEs, mothers' depressive symptoms and health status, and children's developmental risk (screened via Parents' Evaluations of Developmental Status [PEDS]). Between August and November 2016 a Cochran-Armitage test assessed trend of PEDS by ACEs. Multinomial regression models examined differences in PEDS by ACEs severity. Mediation by mothers' depressive symptoms and self-rated health was also assessed. RESULTS: Of 1,293 mothers, 56.7% reported one or more ACEs. Mothers also reported developmental risk (20.4% overall): 120 (9.2%) reported one concern and 144 (11.2%) reported two or more concerns on the PEDS. Mothers who reported household substance use, mental illness, or an incarcerated household member during childhood were more likely to report at least one child developmental concern on the PEDS. After controlling for covariates, odds of one PEDS concern were 1.86 (95% CI=1.16, 3.00) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 2.21 (95% CI=1.26, 3.87) for ACEs four or more versus none. Adjusted odds of two or more concerns were 1.70 (95% CI=1.07, 2.72) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 1.76 (95% CI=1.02, 3.05) for ACEs, four or more versus none. Mothers' depressive symptoms and self-rated health were potential mediators. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers' ACEs are significantly associated with their children's developmental risk. If replicated, findings suggest that addressing intergenerational trauma through focus on childhood adversity among young children's caregivers may promote child development.

Intrauterine exposure to tobacco and executive functioning in high school.

BACKGROUND: Executive functioning (EF), an umbrella construct encompassing gradual maturation of cognitive organization/management processes, is important to success in multiple settings including high school. Intrauterine tobacco exposure (IUTE) correlates with negative cognitive/behavioral outcomes, but little is known about its association with adolescent EF and information from real-life contexts is sparse. We evaluated the impact of IUTE on teacher-reported observations of EF in urban high school students controlling for covariates including other intrauterine and adolescent substance exposures. METHODS: A prospective low-income birth cohort (51% male; 89% African American/Caribbean) was followed through late adolescence (16-18 years old). At birth, intrauterine exposures to cocaine and other substances (52% cocaine, 52% tobacco, 26% marijuana, 26% alcohol) were identified by meconium and/or urine assays, and/or maternal self-report. High school teachers knowledgeable about the student and unaware of study aims were asked to complete the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Teacher Form (BRIEF-TF) annually. RESULTS: Teachers completed at least one BRIEF-TF for 131 adolescents. Multivariable analyses included controls for: demographics; intrauterine cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol exposures; early childhood exposures to lead; and violence exposure from school-age to adolescence. IUTE was associated with less optimal BRIEF-TF Behavioral Regulation scores (p <0.05). Other intrauterine substance exposures did not predict less optimal BRIEF-TF scores, nor did exposures to violence, lead, nor adolescents' own substance use. CONCLUSIONS: IUTE is associated with offspring's less optimal EF. Prenatal counseling should emphasize abstinence from tobacco, as well as alcohol and illegal substances.

Suicidal ideation among urban nine and ten year olds.

Little is known about rates and correlates of suicidal ideation among nonclinical samples of preadolescents from low-income urban backgrounds. Using the Children's Depression Inventory, we measured suicidal ideation in 131 preadolescent urban children (49% female, 90% African American/Caribbean) participating in an ongoing prospective longitudinal study of prenatal cocaine exposure and children's outcome. Suicidal ideation was reported by 14.5% of the children in this sample at 9 to 10 years of age. Children's reports of depressive symptoms, exposure to violence, and distress symptoms in response to witnessing violence were associated with suicidal ideation, but prenatal cocaine exposure, parent-rated child behavior, and caregivers' psychological distress symptoms were not. Suicidal ideation may be more prevalent among preadolescents from urban, low-income backgrounds than clinicians suspect, particularly among children exposed to violence.

Psychological Distress Among School-Aged Children with and Without Intrauterine Cocaine Exposure: Perinatal Versus Contextual Effects.

Whether intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE) explains unique variance in psychiatric functioning among school age children, even after controlling for other biological and social risk factors, has not been fully delineated. As part of a longitudinal birth cohort study of children with and without IUCE, we conducted and analyzed data based on structured clinical interviews with 105 children (57% male) and their caregivers when the child was approximately 8.5 years old; 47% of the children had experienced IUCE. Interviews included past and current major psychological disorders and sub-threshold mental health symptoms. Potential covariates were ascertained by interviews of birth mothers and other caregivers from shortly after the child's birth until the 8.5-year visit. More than one-third of children met DSM-IV criteria for one or more mood, anxiety, attention deficit, or disruptive behavior disorders. IUCE was not significantly associated with children's history of psychological distress, in either bivariate or multiple logistic regressions. In contrast, birth mothers' acknowledgement of greater psychiatric distress at baseline and higher levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and at 8.5 years caregivers' reports of their own psychological distress, and children's lower IQ were predictors of higher rates of psychological morbidity. Findings are consistent with prior reports suggesting that, regardless of IUCE status, children from low-income, urban backgrounds are at heightened risk for psychological distress. Results underscore the need for closer monitoring of the mental health of children living in low-income households, with or without intrauterine substance exposures, to facilitate access to appropriate services.

Children with Special Health Care Needs, Supplemental Security Income, and Food Insecurity.

OBJECTIVES: To assess food insecurity in low-income households with young children with/without special health care needs (SHCN) and evaluate relationships between child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receipt and food insecurity. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey (2013-2015) of caregivers was conducted at 5 medical centers. Eligibility included index child age <48 months without private health insurance and a caregiver fluent in English or Spanish. Interviews included sociodemographics, 5-item Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener, 18-item US Food Security Survey Module, household public assistance program participation, and child SSI receipt. Household and child food insecurity, each, were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of 6724 index children, 81.5% screened negative for SHCN, 14.8% positive for SHCN (no SSI), and 3.7% had SHCN and received SSI. After covariate control, households, with versus without a child with SHCN, were more likely to experience household (Adjusted odds ratios [AOR] 1.24, 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.03-1.48) and child (AOR 1.35, 95% CI, 1.11-1.63) food insecurity. Among households with children with SHCN, those with children receiving, versus not receiving SSI, were more likely to report household (AOR 1.42, 95% CI, 0.97-2.09) but not child food insecurity. CONCLUSION: Low-income households with young children having SHCN are at risk for food insecurity, regardless of child SSI receipt and household participation in other public assistance programs. Policy recommendations include reevaluation of assistance programs' income and medical deduction criteria for households with children with SHCN to decrease the food insecurity risk faced by these children and their families.

Level of prenatal cocaine exposure and 48-month IQ: importance of preschool enrichment.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis was designed to determine whether prenatal cocaine exposure is related to children's standardized cognitive test scores at age 4 years after control for relevant covariates. METHODS: Masked examiners using the WPPSI-R assessed ninety-one 4-year-old children with prenatal cocaine exposure and 79 children of comparable demographic background who were not exposed. Level of cocaine exposure was documented by postpartum interviews of mothers and assays of the infants' meconium. RESULTS: Prenatal cocaine exposure, analyzed as exposed/unexposed or as an ordinal dose variable, was not associated in bivariate or multivariate models with decrements in full-scale IQ, performance IQ, verbal IQ, or in any of the subtests. In bivariate analyses, we found significant differences between exposure groups defined as "unexposed", "lighter", and "heavier" in mean scores of the WPPSI-R subtests Object Assembly (P=0.04) and Picture Completion (P=0.03). For these scores, children with heavier exposure attained higher scaled scores. Birth mother's education and child's experience with preschool enrichment were both associated with higher verbal IQ scores. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure does not exert negative effects on the cognitive competence of preschool-aged children. Children with a history of prenatal cocaine exposure benefit from preschool programs that have been shown to enhance outcomes for other low-income children.

Prenatal substance exposure: What predicts behavioral resilience by early adolescence?

Understanding behavioral resilience among at-risk adolescents may guide public policy decisions and future programs. We examined factors predicting behavioral resilience following intrauterine substance exposure in a prospective longitudinal birth-cohort study of 136 early adolescents (ages 12.4-15.9 years) at risk for poor behavioral outcomes. We defined behavioral resilience as a composite measure of lack of early substance use initiation (before age 14), lack of risky sexual behavior, or lack of delinquency. Intrauterine substance exposures included in this analysis were cocaine, tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. We recruited participants from Boston Medical Center as mother-infant dyads between 1990 and 1993. The majority of the sample was African American/Caribbean (88%) and 49% female. In bivariate analyses, none and lower intrauterine cocaine exposure level predicted resilience compared with higher cocaine exposure, but this effect was not found in an adjusted model. Instead, strict caregiver supervision (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.90, 19.00], p = .002), lower violence exposure (AOR = 4.07, 95% CI [1.77, 9.38], p < .001), and absence of intrauterine tobacco exposure (AOR = 3.71, 95% CI [1.28, 10.74], p = .02) predicted behavioral resilience. In conclusion, caregiver supervision in early adolescence, lower violence exposure in childhood, and lack of intrauterine tobacco exposure predicted behavioral resilience among a cohort of early adolescents with significant social and environmental risk. Future interventions should work to enhance parental supervision as a way to mitigate the effects of adversity on high-risk groups of adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record

Level of prenatal cocaine exposure and infant-caregiver attachment behavior.

The objective of this longitudinal prospective cohort study was to determine whether level of prenatal cocaine exposure, or the interaction between level of prenatal cocaine exposure and contextual risk variables, was associated with a higher rate of infant-caregiver insecure attachment and disorganized attachment, or with alterations in infant crying or avoidant behavior, after controlling for prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, the quality of the proximal caregiving environment, and other covariates. Subjects were 154 full-term 12-month-old infants (64 unexposed, 61 with lighter cocaine exposure, 29 with heavier cocaine exposure) and their primary caregivers from low-income, urban backgrounds. Exposure status was determined in the maternity ward by biologic assay (infant meconium and/or maternal or infant urine) and maternal self-report. At the 12-month follow-up visit, infants were videotaped with their primary caregiver in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Reliable coders masked to exposure status scored videotapes for attachment variables, amount of crying, and level of avoidance. Contrary to popular perceptions, level of prenatal cocaine exposure was not significantly related to secure/insecure attachment status, disorganized attachment status, or rated level of felt security. Foster care status also was not associated with attachment status. However, heavier prenatal cocaine exposure, in interaction with maternal contextual variables (public assistance or multiparity) was associated with alterations in infant socio-affective behavior, including a higher level of behavioral disorganization, more avoidance of the caregiver, and less crying.

Do "we just know"? Masked assessors' ability to accurately identify children with prenatal cocaine exposure.

This study evaluated perceptions of masked assessors to determine whether there are subtle differences in cocaine-exposed and unexposed children who might be identified by those interacting with children. As part of a longitudinal study, developmental assessors were masked to 163 4-year-old children's actual in utero cocaine exposure status and developmental history. After each battery, assessors documented their guesses of the child's cocaine exposure. Thirty-seven percent of the children who were exposed were misclassified as unexposed, whereas 74% of those unexposed were incorrectly classified as exposed. Although the sample did not differ on assessment scores when results were analyzed by actual cocaine exposure status ( >.3), children who did less well on assessments were more likely to be labeled by assessors as cocaine-exposed ( <.001). Results highlight the potential of stereotyping and negative attributions that might distort observations, both in unmasked studies of prenatal cocaine exposure and in clinical settings.