The study involved 65 surviving children born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1976 and 1977 to 63 mothers, all of whom used amphetamines during pregnancy. This prospective study, planned before the childrens' births, collected information continuously through interviews, registered records, and regular examinations. Information covered the backgrounds of the biological parents, the perinatal period, the child's environment, supportive measures, and legal action taken by social services. A life stress score for the mother was constructed where the score 1 was given for separations from the child or spouse or cohabitation with a violent, criminal, or psychologically disturbed man. After birth children were followed and tested at 1 and 4 years of age by a single psychologist. Length of maternal alcohol and drug abuse during pregnancy correlated negatively with the child's adjustment as did numbers of paternal criminal convictions, number of stress factors of the mother, and number of earlier children born to the mother. Paternal criminality was associated with the outcome, regardless of amount of contact between father and child. 1 table, 15 references (Author abstract modified)