Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the findings of video aEEG/EEG brain monitoring in newborns of mothers who used cocaine and/or crack during pregnancy and to describe the epidemiological profile of these mothers and infants. METHODS: Descriptive prospective study carried out from August 2019 to February 2020. We included newborns with a gestational age = 35 weeks and a history of maternal use of crack or cocaine during pregnancy. Newborns underwent video aEEG/EEG monitoring for 24 hours in the first 48 hours of life. The assessment of neonatal abstinence syndrome was performed using the Finnegan Score. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed. The Intergrowth-21 curve was used to classify the anthropometric measurements described. Capurro and New-Ballard methods were standardized for determining gestational age in newborns. RESULTS: 12 newborns met the criteria; all scored from 0 to 7 according to the Finnigan score in the first 6 hours of life. In the 30th hour of life, 10 (91%) scored between 0 and 7 and 1 neonate between 8 and 11, considered altered with the need for treatment. At 72 hours of life, the 12 newborns evaluated had scores between 0 and 7. The background electroencephalographic activity pattern in the first 48 hours of life was continuous, with the presence of a sleep-wake cycle in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Newborns of drug-using mothers may have an early maturation pattern on electroencephalographic assessment. More studies are needed to assess this relationship better.