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Very-low-birth-weight infants are those born at less than 1,500 grams (3.3 pounds). The mental and physical development of these infants has been studied by assessing the incidence of serious abnormalities, such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation, which are readily detected in infancy and early childhood. However, few studies have investigated the development of very-low-birth-weight infants who do not exhibit these relatively rare and serious developmental disabilities. It was hypothesized that they would have more subtle, but still significant, developmental deficits. A study was conducted to evaluate their mental and motor performance at one year of age. Sixty-one very-low-birth-weight babies with no major mental, motor, or sensory deficits were compared with 28 infants born at full term. One third of the very-low-birth-weight babies exhibited significant delays (at least eight weeks) in fine motor control and language development. Factors linked to these deficits included lower birth weight, more days spent in the hospital after birth, and medical complications, such as intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain). The results demonstrate that global (general) developmental testing is not adequate for this high-risk group; instead they should be thoroughly evaluated for all types of behavior. More research is needed to assess whether these developmental delays persist and affect learning in school. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Disturbances of growth and behavior in children of heroin-addicted mothers was studied in 77 preschool children. Arthur Retlaw and Associates, Inc., Suite 2080, 1603 Orrington Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60201. (Author/DLS)

A preliminary report on a study of patterns of child care by drugs addicted mothers stresses indicators of risk to the infants revealed in the mothers' life-styles. (CM)

Abstract. The effect of maternal heroin and methadone use on head growth and neurodevelopmental performance was studied in preschool children of untreated heroin addicts (n = 25), women receiving methadone therapy (n = 26), and a drug-free comparison group (n = 41) who had been followed from birth. The mean birth head circumference of both groups of drug-exposed infants was significantly below that of the comparison group; however, the only factors determined by multiple regression analysis as associated with head size at birth were maternal nutritional status and birth weight. By preschool age, head size did not differ significantly among groups. The factors associated with postnatal head growth were birth weight, intrapartum risk score, and race. Data show an increased incidence of low-average and mildly retarded intellectual performance in the drugexposed children. Regression analyses demonstrated that amount of prenatal care, prenatal risk score, and home environment were most predictive of intellectual performance and that the degree of maternal narcotic use was not a significant factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical service comes consistently into contact with the addicted family at a time critical for change: pregnancy and childbirth. Neonatal withdrawal is life-threatening for the infant and very unsettling to a mother's self-confidence and her parenting ability. Medical treatment for the drug abusing mother is best coordinated with psychosocial and drug treatment in order to minimize perinatal complications, to anticipate risks to the child and to support the mother in her maternal role. This article advocates comprehensive care for the pregnant addict. It is drawn from the author's expreience in the Maternal Narcotics Addiction and Child Development research project at Jefferson Davis Hospital, Houston, Texas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]