'CRACK BABIES' SHOW FEWER PROBLEMS THAN PREDICTED, EXPERTS SAY

Health: Evidence suggests that the children reason and learn like other
youngsters but are more susceptible to hyperactivity. The stigma hinders
adoption, officials say. They were dubbed "a lost generation." Magazines,
newspapers and television programs blared that "crack babies" would be the
bane of a nation.

But a decade after some authorities predicted a national health catastrophe
because of the expanding number of children born with cocaine in their
blood, experts say that there is reason to believe the reality could be
brighter.

A drug-exposed child can think, reason and learn like a "normal" child,
research and anecdotal evidence now suggest. But he may have trouble
sitting still in his chair; authorities say that children born with drugs
in their systems are more susceptible to hyperactivity, depression, anxiety
and impulsive behavior.

Those potential shortcomings can be substantially mitigated, however, by
solid and consistent parenting, particularly if the nurturing begins early
in life.

The findings have contributed to the national push to move more foster
children into stable, adoptive homes--and at younger ages.

Programs are emerging to help families and children cope with difficulties
experienced by drug-exposed children. One of the most acclaimed initiatives
is TIES for Adoption, a project developed and implemented by UCLA and Los
Angeles County.

The 3-year-old program begins by training pre-adoptive parents what to
expect from a substance-exposed child. If the child begins exhibiting the
hyperactivity, depression, anxiety or impulsiveness that sometimes follow
prenatal drug exposure, TIES will provide a psychologist. At the same time,
parents can learn strategies from their own therapist for dealing with the
problems.

TIES counselors also work with teachers and school personnel to structure
programs that help keep children on task. They work with doctors to decide
if medication would help. Once a month, parents share ideas on raising
children.

The program has served about 100 children and families in Los Angeles
County. Hundreds more could benefit from it, supporters say. And
legislation is pending to spread the service to other counties throughout
California.

The exact contribution of cocaine and other drugs to later behavioral
problems remains difficult to determine. It is clear that unstable home
lives, or moving between multiple homes, exacerbate potential problems for
children whose mothers took drugs.

But if there is one truth about children born to mothers who abused drugs
and/or alcohol, it is this: There are no ultimate truths. Clinicians,
psychotherapists and foster parents stress that each child responds
differently to prenatal substance exposure and that each must be treated
accordingly.

Susan B. Edelstein, director of the TIES program, said she is disturbed
when she sees many young children waiting for adoption, because adults fear
the worst.

"We see a lot of these children who, with good environments and good care,
can do well," Edelstein said. "That might not mitigate all the prior
history, but it makes a big difference. . . . They are not all time bombs
waiting to go off."

Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved

Checked-by: Pat Dolan