Cross-sectional growth of children whose mothers abused amphetamines during pregnancy.

Growth of 65 children whose mothers were addicted to amphetamines during pregnancy was followed prospectively from birth to eight years of age. At birth, one and four years of age, mean weight, height and head circumference were below the mean for Swedish children and significantly so in girls. A statistically significant correlation was found in both sexes between impaired growth and social factors such as stress index, increasing number of siblings, length of maternal cohabitation and abuse in maternal relatives.