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. 2015 Jan-Feb:47:146-53.
doi: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.11.005. Epub 2014 Nov 18.

Effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on pubertal development

David S Bennett  1 , Jennifer M Birnkrant  2 , Dennis P Carmody  3 , Michael Lewis  4
Affiliations

Effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on pubertal development

David S Bennett et al. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2015 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and pubertal development. Children (n=192; 41% with PCE) completed the Pubertal Development Scale (Petersen et al. 1988) and provided salivary dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) samples at 6month intervals from 11 to 13years. PCE was examined as a predictor of pubertal status, pubertal tempo, and DHEA levels in mixed models analyses controlling for age, sex, environmental risk, neonatal medical problems, other prenatal exposures, and BMI. PCE interacted with age such that PCE predicted slower pubertal tempo during early adolescence. PCE also interacted with age to predict slower increases in DHEA levels during early adolescence. These findings suggest that PCE may affect pubertal development and, if slower pubertal tempo continues, could lead to delayed pubertal status in mid-adolescence.

Keywords: Dehydroepi-androsterone; Prenatal cocaine exposure; Pubertal status; Pubertal tempo.

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Figure 1
Figure 1. Change in Pubertal Status over Time by Age for Boys and Girls
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