Infants of drug-addicted mothers

The wide variety of addictive substances share in common the reinforcing feature of individuals experiencing a persistent desire to administer the drugs and a strong obsession in obtaining them. Addiction to psychoactive substances is a complex issue, recognized as a class of mental disorders in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) [1]. DSM-IV defines addiction as manifested by the compulsion to take a drug with a loss of control on the intake, and continued use despite knowledge of adverse physical and psychological health effects.