Prenatal use of methamphetamine is associated with behavior problems in children as young as 3 years. The study, "Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure and Childhood Behavior Problems at 3 and 5 Years of Age," in the April 2012 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 19) used maternal self-reporting and/or meconium results to determine prenatal methamphetamine use as part of a prospective, longitudinal study. The authors, led by Dr. Linda Lagasse from Women & Infants' Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, found that children as young as age 3 had an increased risk of emotional reactivity and anxiety/depression. By age 5, children prenatally exposed to methamphetamine were at higher risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The authors conclude that early detection of specific methamphetamine-induced behavioral syndromes, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD and emotional volatility, could lead to the development of better prevention and intervention programs for these children.