EFFECTS ON MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

• NIDA-funded research conducted by Dr. Robert Arendt and Dr. Lynn Singer at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland has shown an association between prenatal cocaine exposure and decreased motor development in children at age 2
• The cocaine-exposed children performed significantly less well on both the fine and the gross motor development indices.
• These findings indicate that the lag in development extends beyond the neonatal period in exposed children.

During their first few years of life, children develop the fine motor skills that help them learn to write and draw. NIDA-supported research suggests that prenatal exposure to cocaine has a damaging effect on the development of these skills and on a child's ability to remain alert and attentive.

 

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