Physical and Social Development in Children Exposed Prenatally to PCP and Cocaine, Los Angeles, 1987-1990
Investigators: Judy Howard, Leila Beckwith, Michael Espinosa, & Carol Rodning

This study was a prospective, longitudinal investigation of 46 full-term infants who had positive urine toxicology screens for phencyclidine (PCP) and other drugs at birth and 39 non-drug-exposed control infants. Infants were followed from birth to 15 months of age. The study examined fetal growth impairment, as shown by subnormal head size and/or intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (i.e., birthweight below the tenth percentile), and later behavioral development in the groups of drug-exposed and non-drug- exposed infants. Investigators examined 89 variables, including maternal parity, maternal nicotine and alcohol use, caregiver education, and child placement outside of the biological home in relation to developmental outcomes.