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The aim of the study was to determine if spontaneous play was altered in 2‐year‐olds born to polysubstance‐abusing mothers. The study is part of a longitudinal research project of chronic substance‐abusing mothers and their children living in poverty in the inner city of Los Angeles, identified in the hospital at birth by positive urine‐toxicology screens, and compared to non‐substance‐abusing mothers and their children living in the same geographic area, of similar ethnic group and socioeconomic and marital status. The behavior of the 31 target and 21 comparison children in the 16‐minute procedure was measured by frequency counts of manipulative, functional, and symbolic acts as well as by ratings of the quality of play. The play of the prenatally drug‐exposed children differed from the comparison group by demonstrating significantly more immature play strategies, less sustained attention, more deviant behaviors, and fewer positive social interactions with their caregivers.

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