MOTHER'S BEHAVIOR HAS STRONG EFFECT ON COCAINE EXPOSED CHILDREN
It is not only
prenatal drug exposure, but also conditions related to drug use that can
influence negative behavior in children, according to a new study from the
University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions.
In examining the long-term effects
of cocaine use during pregnancy in a sample of low-income, cocaine-exposed and
non-exposed families, researchers found that a mother's harshness toward her
child during mother-child interactions at 2 years of age is one of the
strongest predictors of problem behaviors in kindergarten, such as fighting,
aggression and defiance.
Rina Das Eiden, PhD, the study's
principal investigator, is conducting a multi-year study on the direct and
indirect effects of prenatal drug use, following more than 200 mother and child
pairs. It is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Maternal harshness, such as threats
of physical discipline, can be influenced by drug use. Animal studies have
shown that prenatal cocaine use can affect parenting by lowering the bonding
hormones mothers usually experience after birth, resulting in less emotional
engagement with the child.
"Although prenatal cocaine
exposure clearly can have negative health effects on children, the behavior
problems may not only be due to what happens in the womb, but also to the
effects of cocaine use on the mother," Eiden says. "Higher maternal harshness
in cocaine-using mothers could also be due to other unmeasured variables, such
as the mothers' own childhood experiences.
"Women who use cocaine have a
harder time helping their children learn to self-regulate their behavior in the
preschool years, which can lead to more negative behavior in
kindergarten," she says.
Other risks factors shown to
negatively affect behavior of all children in this low-income sample are a
higher likelihood of hunger and living in communities that regularly experience
violence.
Eiden says parenting interventions
in high-risk family situations while children are young may help reduce
maternal harshness and promote self-control in children.
Comments
Post a Comment