[Gavin's Mom]

Ok - this is a difficult question for me but were any of your children exposed to cocaine prior to birth? If so, would you mind sharing your stories with me? My husband and I have done tons of research and it all seems to contradict itself. I would take some comfort in hearing true life stories I think. I hesitate to post this because I don't want to ever "label" our wonderful G and it will be what it will be but some real life information would be greatly appreciated.

[jojobear]

Gavin's Mom,

Our son was born very exposed to numerous things, the main one being cocaine. Almost two pounds of his body weight were drugs.

He has been home with us since he was 17 months old. When he came home his age was 17 months old but developmentally and all he was 9-10 months old. He could walk (did that at 15 months) and he was still eating formula and on a bottle.

After years of services he is now 4 years old he is in a special needs program at school. We have been diagnoised with a list full of conditions. He still is delayed. We have frequent tantrums and hyperventilation meltdowns. He is very structure orientated and we try not to get off schedule it does seem to help.

He looks normal and is big for his age however when people meet him they think he is like 5 and then when he talks and acts around them he is more like 2. He still uses a pacifier (poor suck reflexes and poor tounge muscle tone) he is not yet completely potty trained. He has trouble eating. He is sever ADHD and we are trying to hold off on medication until at least 5 or 6.

Now this is just our son, there are people we know who have a cocaine exposed child and they are pretty much "normal". However this is Our story and i can go on and on about things he does and doesn't do. things we have tried and that.

I worry for his future. However we take it day to day and some times minute to minute.

Hope this has helped.
Jody

[jillned]

Both of our children were exposed to cocaine in utero. DS is now 20 months and is developmentally on target. He walked at 16 months and didn't crawl until almost 11 months. (He was a preemie born at 31 weeks) But now he is "all systems go" and is a very happy kid. I have not noticed any behavior/learning issues as of yet. DD is 5 months old. She is also on target and actually is doing more at this age than my son was. I was very nervous before we even adopted our son when our SW'er asked if we'd be open to a drug exposed baby. Everyday I am thankful that we took the "risk" because I can't imagine life without them.

[beth9927]

Hi. My son was born with cocaine in his system. We don't believe he was exposed to a lot, because bmom was tested monthly with social services and came back clean. (Of course, they could have been fooled!) He is 5 months and totally on target. We have a little eye contact issue, like shying away, but I'm beginning to believe I'm just paranoid. I'm so thankful that we have him.

Beth
bs, 9
as. 5 mths

[traceyk]

"F" used crack in the beginning and baby and her tested negative at time of birth. Drihan has no delays, but was preemie and has a congenital heart defect as well and severe food allergies and gastro issues.

[Gavin's Mom]

Thank you all for your stories. Gavin also seems to shy away from eye contact as well but since he is only 5 weeks old, it is hard to tell.

I have said a little prayer for each of you - I think it takes a trust in God (or higher power) and a loving heart to go down this road. Please keep me posted on progress and I will do the same.

Thank you again!
Rita

[lisa in venice]

Miranda and nathan were both exposed to crack cocaine pernatally and are fine now. Like many kids who were cocaine exposed they do both have some language related deficits but nothing out of the norm. Reading and writting slightly below average. Also like amny cocaine exposed kids both seem to have a much more highly developed math/analytical abilities. Nathan at 17 still struggles with writting but can do advanced math easily. He is taking Honors Physics and Calculus this year. Miranda has good language but not so great articulation but she has amazing mechanical intelligence. The girl can tke apart AND put back together all of our remotes. She can unlock nearly every child lock know to man. She is fascinated with all things with moving parts. So neither one of them will win the Pulitzer Prize for literature but I am betting that we have two pretty solid scientists or engineers in the making.

Both are impulsive and have many characteristics of ADHD but again not way out of the norm. They are just squirrelier then most kids but not over the top, out of control. For both of them lots of excercise was very important. The up side of lots of excercise is that sports give them confidence and opportunities that they wouldn't never have had if they weren't jocks. I say if you already have a wiggly one there are nothing but positives to finding ways for them to work out that energy. I am not saying that having an extra loud, extra impulsive, extra wiggly kid around is always easy. They were also both very high needs babies but once out of baby and toddlerhood really didn't see many difference in them and other kids. In short cocaine is not a good thing to do while pregnant but it is not the worst thing you could do.

lisa

[DebCsMom]

Our son Caleb was born Cociane exposed. His BMom used cocaine the first few months. Then checked into a shelter that did random drug tests. All were negative after that. I too did all the research I could find. All that I could find was effects of the drug during the whole pregnancy, nothing with it's use the first few months. I spoke with our Ped several times. He said drug use was better than alcohol use BY FAR! I was alittle assured but not much.

Our son was born negative for any drugs, which we knew he would be, at least hoped. He will be 3 in September. He is AMAZINGLY SMART! He walked early, talked VERY early, his motor skills are normal, everything is above normal or normal. He is extremely intuitive to things, sensitive, caring, cuddly, etc.

I was scared too of him being labeled. But no one would EVER know in 1,000,000 years that he was cocaine exposed!!

Do as much research as you can, the earlier they stop the drug use obviously the better. Because you are doing so much to help your son already, he will be JUST FINE!!

Deb

[KeroRocks]

My son is now 2, we picked him up at the hospital at 7 weeks of age. He has NO residual affects of being born with Cocaine, Methadone, Heroin and barbituates in his system. He walked on time, talked on time and is now potty training. He is an amazing, smart little boy.

[mom2GRLC]

Our youngest daughter was exposed to cocaine the first 3 months in the womb. She had some birth trama with a not in her cord. She was born real stiff and not breathing, she had to be on a ventilator for 2 days. They do not believe it was a result of the drugs at first they thought it was a seizure but the MRI confirmed it wasn't, At her 3 month check up they were still concerned she was a little stiff and she had a poor suck for several months. But she soon relaxed and caught up and now she is perfectly on target with everything. The only behavioural/emotional issues we dealt with was that she ALWAYS wanted to be held, she couldn't just be sitting on the ground playing by herself even if I was in sight and pretty close to her adn as soon as i left the room for a moment she would screem the whole time in this terrified shriek until I finally picked her up again. But I never attached that to the drug use....just normal baby stuff.