in abilities such as reasoning that are only found in humans. Animal studies in various species have found that cocaine impacts brain structure, function, and chemistry, and causes long-term changes at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels. Animal Model Studies have shown that cocaine has the ability to cross the placenta and the blood brain barrier in the body. This is yet another example of the damage that can be done that can impact and effect the brain and body function and health overall. While the animal model is not as reliable for certain tests because we function differently, this test in particular gives us the idea of the level of damage that can be cause to the fetus of a pregnant women using cocaine during her pregnancy. In research studies on pregnant rats, injected cocaine did less damage to cells than injected nicotine, and more recovery occurred between doses. Adult rats that were exposed to cocaine prenatally have deficits in learning, memory, and motor skills, and may have abnormalities in dopamine processing. Animal research has also shown that offspring of males that used cocaine while their sperm were forming may go on to have abnormalities later in life. References Bibliography External links Crack Babies: A Tale from the Drug Wars, a documentary from The New York Times Cocaine Cocaine Congenital malformation due to exogenous toxicity