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Child Maltreatment, Vol. 11, No. 4, 326-337 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1077559506293462
© 2006 SAGE Publications

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure and Child Welfare Outcomes

John L. Doris

Cornell University

Victoria Meguid

State University of New York Upstate Medical School

Margaret Thomas

Cornell University

Steven Blatt

State University of New York Upstate Medical School

John Eckenrode

Cornell University

This study examines the relationship between prenatal cocaine exposure and child welfare outcomes. Seventy-six infants positive for cocaine at birth were matched to 76 negative infants. With prenatal care and maternal use of alcohol and tobacco controlled, cocaine-exposed infants had significant decrements in birth weight, length, head circumference, and depressed 5-min Apgar scores. This confirmed the health risk of prenatal cocaine exposure for the sample. Three-year follow-up data were obtained from the State Central Register and foster care records. Adjusting for prior maternal involvement with child welfare services the study groups did not differ in incidents of child maltreatment or foster care placement. These findings suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure is not a marker for abusive parenting. However, from the perspective of a cumulative risk model, the identification of cocaine-exposed infants at birth can form the starting point for the development of appropriate diagnostic and follow-up services for mother and child.

Key Words: cocaine • neonatal health • child maltreatment • foster care

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This Article
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