Spontaneous play in two-year-olds born to substance-abusing mothers

Abstract

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.

The effects of prenatal cocaine exposure and child outcome

“…Although the data base is very small, studies have shown differences in symbolic play and attachment relationships in drug-exposed infants who score within normal limits on developmental tests (see Beckwith et al, 1994). In Chasnoffs 3-year follow-up (Azuma & Chasnoff, 1993), although drug-exposed infants fall within normal IQ they do show differences on some subtests such as language.…”

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure: A Comparison of 2‐Year‐Old Children in Parental and Nonparental Care

“…Similarly, Rodning, Beckwith, and Howard (1991) and Swanson et al (2000) found no effect on attachment at 15 months. Furthermore, Hurt et al (1996) found no effects of type of care on play behavior of cocaineexposed toddlers at 18 and 24 months, and Beckwith et al (1994) reported no effects on the play behavior of 2-year-olds.…”

Risk factors in early child development: Is prenatal cocaine/poly-drug exposure a key variable?

“…The two other studies (Beckworth et al, 1994;Yolton & Bolig, 1994) focused primarily on behavioral aspects. By comparing groups of children with prenatal cocaine exposure to similar (but not individually matched) children without drug exposure, the researchers in both articles reported higher levels of distractibility and more physically aggressive behaviors in the drug exposed groups.…”