Toddlers
The effects of prenatal exposure appear to lessen over time. This means that infants and toddlers are more affected than older children.
Some of the more general effects of prenatal exposure on toddlers includes:
- Unable to adapt to changes or stimulation, possibly resulting in chronic crying or misbehaving, biting, head-banging, tantrums
- Difficulty controlling emotions
- May resist physical contact, cannot calm down enough to respond to cuddling
- Difficulty with focused play: over stimulation might cause toddler to wander aimlessly, passively handle toys without attention
- Does not look to adults for comfort or respond to verbal praise
- May ignore limit setting
- Limited vocalizations
- May not use language or gestures or respond to others language or gestures
- May not imitate sounds or words
- Delayed language development
- Tantrums rather than words
- May be dependent on caregiver for daily living activities for a longer time
- Overreacts to short separations from caregiver
Prenatal exposure to cocaine
- Behavioral and emotional difficulties: Increased irritability, problems sustaining attention, difficult temperament, sleep and eating disorders, hypersensitivity and restlessness
- Difficulty in language and verbal development
- Both gross motor skill development (overall control of body movement) and fine motor skill development (co-ordination of body parts) may be slowed
Managing Behavior
There are physical interventions that can be used to help toddlers struggling with the effects of prenatal exposure, including:
- Provide opportunities to build motor skills using blocks, large puzzles, stacking toys
- Respond immediately to beginning attempts at verbal communication
- Provide a variety of tactile and small motor activities (water and sand play, pegboards, puzzles, blocks, Legos, etc)
- Guide the child through motor activities that emphasize the skills of rhythm, balance, and coordination
- Model and guide the child in learning to control the child’s body through songs, games, and play
- If child resists certain touches (hugs, kisses, etc) , establish what touches he or se is ok with and go from there
There are also emotional strategies that can be used to help preschoolers struggling with the effects of prenatal exposure, including:
- Give verbal cues when preparing for transitions
- Offer verbal reassurance when separating from child
- Label emotions so the child can begin to recognize them
- Model the full range of emotions
- A child who has suffered trauma needs reminding that they are safe
And of course, behavioral techniques are also an option, such as:
- Talk about appropriate behavior and set consequences for inappropriate behavior (biting, kicking, etc.)
- Model the behavior you want to see
- Provide consistent reminders of appropriate behaviors in certain settings
- Help child identify signs of over-stimulation and develop strategies for self-regulation
Parents and other caregivers should also:
- Consult a speech and language specialist
- Continue to seek early intervention services
