| Failure to recover from apnea has been suggested to play a role in sudden infant death. Furthermore, perinatal exposure to cocaine is a risk factor for sudden infant death. I, therefore, carried out experiments to investigate the influence of perinatal exposure to cocaine on protective responses that newborn and older rats exhibit during exposure to hypoxia as may occur during prolonged apnea. Pregnant rats received either cocaine HCL (20, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day) or control solution continuously from day 6 or 7 of gestation via an osmotic minipump implanted subcutaneously. On postnatal days 1-2, 5-6, and 10-11, pups were exposed either to a single period of hypoxia (97% N... |
