For the first time, an international collaborative prospective study led by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine demonstrates the impact of ecstasy, a widely used illegal stimulant and hallucinogen with the scientific name of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA, on fetal and infant development. The study, published in the February issue of Neurotoxicology and Teratology shows that in pregnant women using ecstasy, the chemical signaling that determines the baby’s gender is affected and that the drug contributes to developmental delays in infants.
Leading researcher, Lynn T. Singer, PhD, professor of environmental health sciences, pediatrics and psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and deputy provost and vice president for academic affairs at the university said:
“The potential harmful effects of ecstasy exposure on prenatal and infant development have long been a concern. The drug’s negative effects are particularly risky for pregnant women, who may use the drug without being aware of their condition.”
The researchers recruited 96 participants from The University of East London (UEL) Drugs and Infancy Study (DAISY) that studies recreational drug use amongst pregnant women.
They surveyed the participants before and during their pregnancy regarding their substance abuse, including ecstasy, and assessed them for psychiatric symptoms and related difficulties that were drug-use related.
The majority reported to have taken a variety of illegal drugs before and during pregnancy, and the researchers analyzed the differences between the women for confounding variables.
The results demonstrated that women who used ecstasy during their pregnancy experienced more negative social consequences, such as health, job and social problems due to their ecstasy use compared with women who used no drugs.
Interestingly, using ecstasy during pregnancy also seemed to have an impact on the ratio of male to female babies born, with researchers observing a greater number of male births amongst those who used ecstasy during pregnancy, whereas the sex ratio is usually half and half.
Infants exposed to ecstasy and non-exposed infants were compared at birth and at fourth months, and included examining the babies’ growth, as well as any potential delays in the infants’ cognitive development, their gross motor development, and the date when they reached coordinated movement milestones.
Co-principal researcher and UK research coordinator, Derek Moore, PhD, professor of psychology at The University of East London and director of the school’s Institute for Research in Child Development (IRCD) declared:
“The research findings also suggests there are some neurochemical effects of the drug that seem to affect the motor functioning of infants.”
Dr. Moore observed that infants exposed to ecstasy demonstrated poorer quality of coordinated movement and lower milestone attainment at four months. For instance, in comparison with unexposed babies, some ecstasy-exposed infants balanced their heads at a later age, with the same delays being observed in the babies eye-hand coordination, turning from back to side, and being able to sit with support. These delays could increase a potential risk of additional developmental delays later on.
According to Dr. Singer, further studies need to be conducted in view of the likely association between the volume of ecstasy exposure and poorer motor quality, particularly since ecstasy is such a commonly used drug worldwide, that many infants could be affected if prenatal exposure proves harmful.
Andy Parrott, BSc, PhD, professor of psychology at Swansea University in Wales, who is the other co-principal researcher, warns:
“The psychomotor and related psychological problems identified in these four-month old babies are very worrying, but perhaps not particularly surprising. Ecstasy can deplete the level of serotonin, which is important neurotransmitter for many brain functions, including gross motor control.”
Serotonin is vital for the formation of the brain in early fetal development and carries nerve impulses between cells to regulate sleep, anxiety and mood states. Basic research models have demonstrated that a change in the level and behavior of serotonin can result in long-term effects on learning and memory.
The new study was a continuation of Dr. Singer’s ongoing research into high-risk infants and the effects that drugs have on fetal and infant development. The researchers collect data up to 18 months after an infant’s birth and examine the same women and children 12 months after birth to examine whether the earlier noted delays in the infants’ development worsen or persist, and whether there are potential long-term negative effects of prenatal ecstasy exposure.
The researchers hope to continue the study well into the infants’ childhood years as they are concerned that infants exposed to ecstasy during pregnancy could experience long-term deficits that will result in a negative impact on their learning capacity, memory and emotional development.
Written by Petra Rattue