Early Interactions Between Drug-Involved Mothers and Infants

Ongoing Maternal Drug Use, Parenting Attitudes, and a Home Intervention: Effects on Mother-Child Interaction at 18 Months

“…This contradicts previous research that indicates that an intervention with drug-using women leads to better mother-infant interaction. 11 However, there was no Control Group in the Hofkosh et al study, 11 and the assessors were not blind to the mother's drug history. All the families in the present study continued to live in poverty, as indicated by the fact that over 90% of the families were receiving social services at 18 months.…”

“…Using community health nurses, one home-based program provided health education and a child-development curriculum over the first 12 months postpartum. 11 Although the number of home visits varied by family, the intervention led to better motherinfant interaction at 3 months postpartum. Another home-based program using community nurses provided a child-development curriculum and maternal support during biweekly home visits (mean number of visits = 12) over the first 18 months postpartum.…”

“…The present research differed from previous intervention research with drug-using mothers and their children because unlike previous research, 11,12 it included a Control Group and a home visitor to prevent attrition in the Control Group, and it extended the home intervention until the child was two years of age. We hypothesized that mothers and children in the Intervention Group would display significantly more positive behaviors during mother-child interaction than mothers and children in the Control Group.…”

Maternal Substance Abuse: Infant Psychiatric Interest: A Review and a Hypothetical Model of Interaction

“…Alcohol and other drug abuse among women is most common (1,5,6) and particularly worrisome when it occurs during a woman's childbearing years. Substance abuse 762 PAJULO, SAVONLAHTI, AND PIHA is especially serious during and in the months following pregnancy because of the potential for various severe and long-term consequences (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

“…By literature and by clinical experience, mothers who have a problem with substances seem to share certain similar circumstances and realities concerning their beginning life with the new baby. Many of these can be comprehended as risk factors for the developing early relationship between mother and child (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). Although the detection of maternal substance abuse has proved to be particularly difficult (9,17,(19)(20)(21), once the problem has been identified, substance-abusing mothers are often willing and capable of reducing their substance use out of concern for the well-being of their children (22).…”