Using National Vital Statistics Birth and Fetal Death Data from 1995 to 2020 linked to county-level information on wildfires, we use variation in wildfire timing to examine how effects of wildfire exposure on infant health vary by maternal education. Results indicate that wildfire exposure increases the likelihood of low birth weight and fetal…

Objectives: In the United States, infant deaths due to sleep-related injuries have quadrupled over the past two decades. One of the major risk factors is the placement of an infant to sleep on a surface other than a crib or bassinet. This study examines contextual circumstances and knowledge and behaviors that may contribute to the placement of…

Mother-infant bed-sharing has been associated with an increased risk of sleep-related infant deaths, and thus, health messaging has aimed to discourage this behavior. Despite this messaging, bed-sharing remains a common practice in the United States, especially among minority families. Moreover, rates of accidental suffocation and strangulation in…

Presents findings from a multisite case study of consortia in the federal Healthy Start Initiative to reduce infant mortality in high-risk communities. Examines the facilitators of well- functioning consortia in a framework of empowerment theory and community organizing with women of color. Implications for social work practice and for policy are…

This study examined a wide range of literature in order to describe factors associated with the concept of infant health. The design of the study is a literature review examining 21 research studies, written in the English language. The study explored which factors were found to exert an influence on the concept of infant health. The result showed…

Reviews three areas of literature on home apnea monitoring for infants: (1) identification of infants at risk, (2)technical aspects of monitoring, and (3) families' responses to monitoring. Outlines areas of controversy, including effect of use of home monitors on parent anxiety. Calls for ongoing education for parents who undertake home…

Outlines the history of and reviews the literature on the care of premature infants. Focuses on the medicalization of birth; early neonatology; the effect of advances in medicine on the survival and safety of neonates; and the importance of early mother-neonate interactions. (BC)

In this article, we used the data from the last three population censuses of China in 1982, 1990 and 2000, to study the dynamics of the sex ratio at birth and the infant mortality rate in China. In the late 1970s, China started its economic reform and implemented many family planning programs. Since then there has been great economic development…

This report focuses on electronic fetal monitoring (EFM)--a technology that was developed during the 1960s and has rapidly spread into use in clinical obstetrics. The report includes a review of the extensive published literature on EFM and related subjects. It also contains original calculations concerning the technique's specificity and…

Reviews research from several disciplines to examine impact of stillbirth and infant death on parents, and the effect of various socio-demographic, pregnancy-related, and postbirth factors upon parents' grieving and adjustment. Reports that one-third of mothers reported serious physical and emotional deterioration. Notes that care and emotional…

Health statistics show wide variations in risk and determinants of infant death across racial and ethnic subpopulations, a within-group advantage to being an immigrant, and the same direction of effects for mortality risk factors across groups. Efforts to lower infant mortality should benefit all groups. Contains 83 references. (TD)

This report summarizes the evidence that family planning can reduce deaths of children under 5 years of age at a reasonable cost. The report also: (1) identifies the major reproductive factors associated with child mortality; (2) estimates the approximate reduction in child mortality that could be achieved through improved childbearing patterns;…

This bibliography of current writings on the topic of nutrition for the pregnant adolescent presents information in the areas of: (1) the importance of nutrition for the pregnant adolescent; (2) the what, when, and where of teaching nutrition; (3) techniques of teaching nutrition education; (4) special programs with nutrition education for the…

Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state by- state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, Kids Count seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all…

Among the most influential findings from the World Fertility Survey (WFS) were those linking fertility patterns to child survival, in particular the findings concerning the high infant and child mortality for children born after a short birth interval. This study examined the relations between fertility and child survival based on more recent data…