STUDY'S AUTHOR DOWNPLAYS 'CRACK BABY' PROBLEM

The "crack baby'' phenomenon that surged to prominence a decade ago is
overblown, according to a study that suggests poverty and the use of
cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs while pregnant are just as likely as
cocaine to cause developmental problems in children.

Blaming such problems on prenatal cocaine use alone has unfairly
stigmatized children, creating an unfounded fear in teachers that "crack
kids'' will be backward and disruptive, according to the study, an analysis
of 36 previous studies.

"I'm not trying to be Pollyanna-ish and say there are not problems'' with
cocaine use by pregnant women, said Dr. Deborah A. Frank, an associate
professor of pediatrics at Boston University who led the analysis. "I'm
saying there are many more serious risks to children's development.''

The analysis appears in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.