Development of an Instrument to Assess Problem Behavior in First Grade Students Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine. Part II: Validation.

In Part I, the initial development of a preliminary tool, the PROBS-14, was reported. The tool was developed and initially tested through a consensus process that tapped the perceptions of early education teachers. Concurrent validity between the PROBS-14 and the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS) was established with factor analysis, yielding a hyperactivity-conduct factor, composed of PROBS items and all but two of the CTRS subscales, and a central processing factor, composed of PROBS items and the remaining CTRS scales.

Birth to age 7 growth of children prenatally exposed to drugs: a prospective cohort study.

Prenatal exposure to cocaine, alcohol, and cigarettes has been linked to decreased birth weight and length. Unclear, however, is whether growth deficits persist into childhood. Women who were pregnant, African-American, not HIV-positive, and who delivered singleton infants were extensively screened throughout pregnancy for cocaine, alcohol, cigarette, and other illicit drug use.

Growth from birth onwards of children prenatally exposed to drugs: a literature review.

Reductions in birth weight and length have been independently attributed to prenatal exposure to alcohol, cigarettes and cocaine. While pregnant women often use multiple substances, studies have not consistently controlled for exposure to other agents or other important differences in maternal lifestyle associated with the use of these substances. Despite these difficulties, the preponderance of evidence suggests that prenatal alcohol and cocaine independently reduce birth measurements.

Violence exposure, trauma, and IQ and/or reading deficits among urban children.

Background: Exposure to violence in childhood has been associated with lower school grades. However, the association between violence exposure and performance on standardized tests (such as IQ or academic achievement) in children is unknown. It is also not known whether violence exposure itself or subsequent symptoms of trauma are primarily responsible for negative outcomes.