Needlman R, Frank D A, Cabral H, Mirochnick M, Kwon C, Zuckerman B
Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1998 Nov;37(11):659-64. doi: 10.1177/000992289803701103.
Prenatal exposure to cocaine may alter autonomic nervous system function resulting in hypertension. Blood pressure was measured oscillometrically in a convenience sample of cocaine-exposed (n = 32) and nonexposed (n = 23) children, aged 8 to 26 months, by examiners unaware of exposure status. The exposed and nonexposed groups did not differ in systolic pressure (mean +/- SD 102.3 +/- 9.9 mmHg vs 119.1 +/- 19.4). Prenatal exposure to cocaine does not appear to be associated with elevated blood pressure in young children.
