Externalizing behavior and substance use related problems at 15 years in prenatally cocaine exposed adolescents

Abstract

The effect of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on externalizing behavior and substance use related problems at 15 years of age was examined. Participants consisted of 358 adolescents (183 PCE, 175 non-cocaine exposed (NCE)), primarily African-American and of low socioeconomic status, prospectively enrolled in a longitudinal study from birth. Regression analyses indicated that the amount of PCE was associated with higher externalizing behavioral problems (β=.15, p=.02). Adolescents with PCE were also 2.8 times (95% CI=1.38–5.56) more likely to have substance use related problems than their NCE counterparts. No differences between PCE adolescents in non-kinship adoptive or foster care (n=44) and PCE adolescents in maternal/relative care (n=139) were found in externalizing behavior or in the likelihood of substance use related problems. Findings demonstrate teratologic effects of PCE persisting into adolescence. PCE is a reliable marker for the potential development of problem behaviors in adolescence, including substance use related problems.

Prenatal, perinatal, and adolescent exposure to marijuana: Relationships with aggressive behavior

“…In a follow-up study examining the CBCL and the TRF at ages 7, 9 and 11, these researchers did not find a significant association, but they found a trend for an association between prenatal marijuana exposure and externalizing behavior as rated on the CBCL (Bada et al, 2011). Minnes and associates reported findings from another sample recruited to examine prenatal cocaine exposure, noting that prenatal marijuana exposure was not associated with increased risk for clinically elevated CBCL Externalizing scores at ages 4, 6, 9, and 10 (Minnes et al, 2010); as such, prenatal marijuana exposure was not included in a final model predicting YSR Externalizing Behavior at age 15 (Min et al, 2014). Complicating this picture, Bennett and colleagues found an association between prenatal marijuana exposure and lower self-rated externalizing/delinquent behavior in a study of 179 children aged 8-10 (Bennett et al, 2013).…”

Effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on adolescent development

“…Others have also reported that PCE is associated with child or adolescent behavior problems, particularly externalizing behaviors such as aggression and delinquency (Bada et al, 2011, 2012; Bennett et al, 2007, 2013; Delaney-Black et al, 2000; Fisher et al, 2011; McLaughlin et al, 2011; Min, Minnes, Lang et al, 2014; Min, Minnes, Yoon et al, 2014; Minnes et al, 2010; Nordstrom Bailey et al, 2005; Sood et al, 2005; Whitaker et al, 2011). However, not all reports have confirmed these findings (Accornero et al, 2002, 2006; Allen et al, 2014; Bada et al, 2008; Bennett et al, 2002; Bridgett et al, 2011; Gerteis et al, 2011; Greenwald et al, 2011; Linares et al, 2006; Savage et al, 2005; Warner, Behnke, Hou et al, 2006).…”

Prenatal cocaine exposure and age of sexual initiation: Direct and indirect effects

“…Delaney-Black et al (2011) reported that youth with PCE were more likely to initiate cocaine use by age 14 than non-exposed youth. PCE has also been associated with the early onset of alcohol and/or marijuana use (Frank et al, 2011; Minnes et al, 2014; Richardson et al, 2013b), and with substance use related problems (Min et al, 2014). Further, some researchers have reported a gender by PCE interaction, with boys with PCE having poorer inhibitory control (Carmody et al, 2011), a greater propensity for risk-taking (Allen et al, 2014), more behavior problems (Bennett et al, 2007; Delaney-Black et al, 2004), earlier initiation of substance use (Bennett et al, 2007), and increased frequency of sex without a condom (Lambert et al, 2013) than girls with PCE.…”