Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Scientific Considerations and Policy Implications

摘要

Prenatal exposure to drugs, including cocaine, is a significant and preventable cause of developmental disability. Almost two decades after the nation first heard stories of 'crack babies,' new research has shown that children exposed to cocaine before birth are at risk of learning and behavioral problems. Such problems have broad implications for education, social welfare, and criminal justice in the United States. This report presents an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of cocaine on the developing brain and offers policy considerations for addressing the issues that arise from cocaine use by pregnant women. Most of the scientific research discussed in the report is derived from a 1997 New York Academy of Sciences conference on 'Cocaine: Effects on the Developing Brain,' the proceedings of which have been published as Volume 846 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Harvey and Kosofsky, 1998). The policy implications discussed here are based on material presented at this conference and on investigations conducted by researchers at RAND.