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Biomedical subjects

K D'Apolito

Publications and source records attributed to K D'Apolito.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Substance abuse: infant and childhood outcomes.

Many children are born to women who consume drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methadone, marijuana, and/or phencyclidine (PCP) during pregnancy. As a result, some children are growing up with both physical and developmental delays. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome have reported problems with growth, attention deficit disorder, and other medical problems. Impaired cognitive and neurologic functioning through the first 2 years of live has been documented for children exposed to methadone while in utero. Those children exposed to polydrug use including cocaine and marijuana seem to have difficulties with language development and verbal skills. Some of these deficiencies show improvement with early intervention and a nurturing environment, but in many cases the impairment continues throughout childhood. Because experimentation with drugs occurs at an early age, education related to drug prevention should begin early, possibly with school-aged children. Drug prevention education needs to be age and developmentally specific. The use of appropriate drug prevention strategies may help children make good decisions regarding drug use, especially during the teenage years when adolescent pregnancy may occur.

Developmental Disabilities↗
PubMed1991

What is an organized infant?

Organization is a term used to describe the establishment of integrated functioning between an infant's physiologic and behavioral systems. When these systems are well integrated, the infant is able to interact with the environment without disruptions in autonomic, motor, and state functioning. As a result, he will not experience alterations in vital signs, color, state, or digestive functions that may compromise his future growth and development. Infants who can maintain or regain physiologic and behavioral organization will conserve energy for growth, provide caregivers with clear behavioral cues that indicate their needs, facilitate the establishment of parent-infant attachment, and use self-consoling or habituating behaviors when interacting with an environment that is too stimulating. As a result, developmental outcomes can be enhanced, particularly in infants who are at risk for neurobehavioral sequelae and developmental delays. Nurses can help infants achieve and maintain organization by providing an environment that supports their physiologic and behavioral organization.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of a rocking bed and standard bed for decreasing withdrawal symptoms in drug-exposed infants.

PURPOSE: To determine if the use of a mechanical rocking bed with maternal intrauterine sounds would decrease symptoms of withdrawal and promote neurobehavioral adaptation in drug-affected infants. METHODS: This was a repeated measures experimental design, with infants randomized to a standard bed or a rocking bed. The sample consisted of 14 full-term infants who were prenatally exposed to methadone plus other illicit drugs. RESULTS: Infants receiving the rocking bed therapy experienced a significant increase in withdrawal symptoms and sleep deprivation and displayed suboptimal neurobehavioral functioning on day 7 of life. IMPLICATIONS: The results suggest that the use of a mechanical rocking bed may be overstimulating for these fragile infants during the acute period of withdrawal.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Outcomes for children exposed to drugs in utero.

Substance abuse among pregnant women remains a national health issue. The incidence of infants born addicted to licit and illicit substances is increasing. The long-term outcomes have not been consistently documented. These appear to include mild to severe developmental and cognitive problems, depending upon the substance used. Central nervous system problems, behavioral dysfunction, and safety issues are major parental concerns for these children as they grow. Interventions must be aimed at thorough assessments, including an accurate maternal history, use of supports for positive neurodevelopment, parent education about infant/child cues, and encouragement of educational environments that are highly structured and safe. Consistent, long-term follow-up is essential to optimize long-term outcomes.

Child Abuse↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Randomized clinical trials: issues for researchers.

The clinical trial is a randomized prospective study of human subjects in which the effectiveness of an intervention is compared against a control. Such a trial is considered to be a critical test of an innovative therapy. Trials require careful design and planning to be scientifically valid and clinically pertinent. In this review the clinical trial and its role in research are defined, and major ethical, methodological, and feasibility issues associated with trial design and organization are described.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗