Very few studies have assessed infant capacity for bidirectional, contingent communication at birth, and to our knowledge there are none with preterm infants in the neonatal period. Presence versus absence of such interactive contingency makes a difference for our theories of development. We examined whether preterm infants can contingently…

Three experiments examined the visual attentiveness of full-term vs. premature infants. (SB)

Classified fetuses as accelerators or decelerators based on intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR). Explored the relationship of the classification with gestational age and neonatal behavior in clinically healthy neonates to provide an empirical basis for using FHR in the study of infant behavior. Subjects were 48 "healthy term" or…

Ninety-two clinically normal infants (48 male, 44 female) were tested at 2 and 90 days of age to examine the continuity of newborn behavior through early infancy across a broad range of behaviors. (MP)

In this study, an attempt was made to determine whether psychophysiological differences existed between 20 prematurely born and 20 full-term infants in their responsiveness to tactile stimulation and in their ability to discriminate among different intensities of such stimulation. (Author/SB)

Compares the response of preterm and full-term infants to moving objects presented with or without accompanying sound. Finds differences in attention and recognition between full-terms and preterms at three months of age. At six months of age only high-risk preterms showed different responses than full-terms, suggesting that they are at a…