Citation

Schuler ME, Nair P, Black MM. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 2002; 23(2): 87-94.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21201, USA. mschuler@peds.umaryland.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11943970

PMCID

PMC3137943

Abstract

This prospective study examined the effects of ongoing maternal drug use, parenting attitudes, and a home-based intervention on mother-child interaction among drug-using women and their children. At 2 weeks postpartum, mothers and infants were randomly assigned to either an Intervention (n = 67) or Control (n = 64) Group. Intervention families received weekly visits until 6 months postpartum and biweekly visits from 6 to 18 months by trained lay visitors. The home intervention was designed to increase maternal empowerment and promote child development. Control families received brief monthly tracking visits. Mother-child interaction was evaluated at 18 months through observation of play. Mothers who continued to use cocaine and/or heroin had lower competence scores (p <.05); poor parenting attitude was also associated with lower competence scores during mother-child interaction (p <.05). Although the intervention had no measured effect, ongoing maternal drug use and poor parenting attitudes were associated with less optimal maternal behavior during mother-child interaction.

Language: en