Abstract: Prenatal exposure to addictive drugs can influence the development of fetal brain, leading to abnormality of the main neurotransmitter system and behavioral malfunction. Recent studies showed that prenatal exposure to cocaine or morphine affects the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of neural progenitor, resulting in changes of neuronal morphology, receptor function and synaptic plasticity. Such changes are widely found in dopamine, GABA and glutamate system in mesocorticolimbic system, which leads to behavioral deficits in learning and memory and altered susceptibility to addictive drugs. Here we summarize related studies on behaviors, neural development, neurotransmitter system and brain function and try to put forward further research prospects.

Key words: embryonic period, cocaine, morphine, brain development, addiction behavior