Teratogen: Any environmental agent that can cause damage during the prenatal period

General Principles of Teratogenic Effects: Dose: Larger doses over longer time periods usually have more negative effects Heredity: The genetic makeup of the mother and embryo/fetus influence the effect of a teratogen

Timing: Effects of a teratogen vary with the age of the organism at the time of exposure Sensitive Period: Time during which basic structures are being formed Each major organ system or body part has its own sensitive period A system is most vulnerable to teratogens during its sensitive period

Cumulative Risk: Effect of a teratogen may be worse if there are other risk factors present (e.g., poor nutrition, lack of medical care, other teratogens)

Cocaine-using women would differ from non-using women Article: Brown et al. (2004) Hypotheses: Cocaine-using women would differ from non-using women Users: Lower socioeconomic status; greater obstetric risk 2. Children prenatally exposed to cocaine would differ from children without exposure in social development but not in physical or cognitive development

Within the group of women who used cocaine: Mothers who did not keep custody of their children after birth would differ from mothers who did keep custody Heavier prenatal drug use, lower SES, greater obstetric risk in mothers who did not have custody Their newborns would also show more birth complications (e.g., prematurity)

Within the group of children with PCE: At 2 years of age, children in non-parental care would differ from children in parental care: Non-parental care would be higher-quality than parental care Children in non-parental care would show better cognitive and social development than children in parental care

Findings: 1. Cocaine-using women differed from non-using women 2. Children with prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) did not differ from children without exposure in terms of physical, social, or cognitive development

Children with PCE who were in non-parental care: 3. Within the group of women who used cocaine, mothers who retained custody differed from mothers who did not retain custody Children with PCE who were in non-parental care: Received higher-quality care than children with PCE who remained with their biological parents Showed better social and cognitive development than children with PCE who remained with their biological parents