Impact of maternal drug dependency on birth weight and head circumference of offspring
T. M. Doberczak, J. C. Thornton, J. Bernstein and S. R. Kandall
Department of Pediatrics, Beth Israel Medical Center, Mt Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003.
The impact of maternal opiate dependency on birth weight and head
circumference of offspring was studied in 150 mother-infant pairs and 150
controls. Mean birth weight and head circumference of drug-dependent
offspring were reduced symmetrically compared with drug-free controls of
similar socioeconomic status. Although mean gestational ages and rates of
prematurity were similar, intrauterine growth retardation occurred in 20%
of passively addicted infants vs 4% of controls. A longer period of
methadone maintenance was associated with longer gestation and increased
birth weight, while higher methadone dosages were associated with higher
birth weights and larger head circumferences. Smoking was associated with
reduced birth weight by an average of 160 g per pack of cigarettes smoked
per day; longer duration of smoking was associated with reductions in both
birth weight and head circumference. These data suggest therapeutic
strategies to improve these fetal growth characteristics and perhaps
improve neurobehavioral outcome of drug-dependent newborns.
