Our Baby Was Exposed Prenatally to Substances. Should I Worry? - Weekend Wisdom

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Question: Our adopted son is almost 4 months old and perfectly healthy. He eats well, sleeps well, and seems to be hitting his milestones just fine. We know that he was exposed to cocaine during pregnancy, but he was born only three weeks early, which is still full-term. He had a healthy birth weight, he was not suffering from withdrawal in the hospital, and he has checked out as perfectly healthy at all of his pediatrician visits so far. My question is, does the lack of negative effects of cocaine in these early months of his life give us any indication of whether or not he will have learning difficulties or development issues due to the cocaine when he reaches school age? I am curious whether there is any research showing that a lack of symptoms at a young age following prenatal exposure indicates fewer symptoms at an older age. 

Resources:

• FASD United
• Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Exposures
• Raising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure
• Prenatal Substance Exposure Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Parents

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