Pregnancy outcome and neurodevelopment of children exposed in utero to psychoactive drugs: the Motherisk experience

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the Motherisk Program data on pregnancy outcome and neurodevelopment of children exposed in utero to selected psychoactive drugs. First, the use of cocaine during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of spontaneous abortions, abruptio placenta, premature labor, and stillbirth. Twenty-three adopted children exposed in utero to cocaine demonstrated an 8-fold increase in risk for microcephaly compared with controls. Global intelligence quotients (IQ) did not differ between the 2 groups, but the cocaine-exposed children achieved significantly lower scores on the Reynell language test. Second, the long-term neurobehavioral effects of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) were studied in 384 children to show that alcohol-induced brain insults, which consist of attention and memory deficits together, and poor adaptability and organization are not attenuated with age. Third, the rates of major malformations in children exposed in utero to fluoxetine, tricyclic antidepressants, and nonteratogenic drugs did not differ or exceed the expected rates in the general population. A 2nd phase of this study established the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy by demonstrating that the mean IQ and language scores are comparable in the 3 groups. A level 2 ultrasonography is recommended in cases of in utero exposure to lithium and carbamazepine because of an increased risk of cardiac malformations and spina bifida, respectively.