Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Impairs Infants' Response To Stress, University Of Buffalo Study

Infants exposed prenatally to cocaine react more
emotionally to stress and appear to have fewer stress-reducing coping
strategies than infants with no cocaine exposure, researchers at the
University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) have
shown.



The study, carried out with 7-month-old infants, is one of the few
conducted to date to examine the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure
on the regulatory system beyond the newborn period.? 



This research, led by Rina Das Eiden, Ph.D., a developmental
psychologist and RIA senior research scientist, was published in the
January/February, 2009, issue of Neurotoxicology and Teratology.



Eiden also is research associate professor in UB's Department of
Pediatrics in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and
associate professor in the Department of Psychology in UB's College of
Arts and Sciences.



Eiden first examined reactivity, defined as how quickly and intensely
the infants responded to stress. Next, she measured regulation, defined
as the number of strategies the infants used to cope with stress.? 



Assessments were conducted in the RIA Infant Lab, a warm,
family-room-like setting. Mothers or caregivers were asked to place
their infant in a high chair with an attractive toy and stand behind
the child. The infant was allowed to play with the toy for 30 seconds,
followed by 30 seconds when the mother prevented her child from
reaching the toy. This sequence then was repeated a second time.? ? ? ? 

? 

Results showed that compared to cocaine-free infants, babies exposed to
the drug prenatally exhibited greater anger and sadness, and reacted
more quickly as stress increased. The non-exposed infants tended to be
relatively stable in their reactivity during the assessments.



Cocaine-exposed infants failed to increase the number of strategies to
cope with or regulate their emotional reactions, while non-exposed
infants used more regulatory behaviors to comfort themselves, results
showed.? ? 



Regulatory or self-comforting behaviors included repetitive motor
actions, sucking and gross motor movements. Additional attempts by the
infants at self-regulation included looking away from the toy, or
looking toward the mother, the technician or another person to distract
attention away from the unavailable toy.



A trained research staff rated the infants' expressions of anger,
frustration or sadness using standardized research measures rather than
depending on a parent or caregiver's perceptions.? ? 



The Research Institute on Addictions has been a national leader in the
study of addictions since 1970 and a research center of the University
at Buffalo since 1999.



The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public
university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York
system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than
28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300
undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in
1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of
American Universities.


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