The first months of life are critical for establishing neural connections relevant for social and cognitive development. Yet, the United States lacks a national policy of paid family leave during this important period of brain development. This study examined associations between paid leave and infant electroencephalography (EEG) at 3 months in a…

Early Head Start (EHS) is an evidence-based, federally funded, and community-based program with a two-generation approach to child development for children under age 3 and pregnant women in poverty. The mission of EHS is to support healthy prenatal outcomes; enhance the intellectual, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers; and…

Background: Preterm infants are at high risk for adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is designed to counteract adverse effects of separation of mothers and their preterm infants. Here, we evaluate effects of FNI on neurobehavioral outcomes. Methods: Data…

Just as the early years of a child's development create the architecture for future brain growth, early implementation of federal Part C legislation laid the groundwork for a system of supports for families of infants and toddlers with disabilities. Some aspects of the current legislation provide a sturdy foundation for sound policies and…

Sure Start Scotland is part of a broader action program for children from birth to age three and their families with the objectives of improving children's social and emotional development, health, and ability to learn, as well as strengthening families and communities. This summary report details a "mapping" project to identify services…

At 3 years of age, children who had received food supplementation were an average of 2.6 cm and 642 grams larger than controls. Home visiting and supplementation combined reduced the number of children with severe growth retardation. Participants were 280 infants and their families from poor neighborhoods in Bogota, Colombia. (RH)

Children whose temperamental traits are significantly different from the average risk abuse or neglect from parents who do not recognize this "differentness" as legitimate expressions of individuality. This paper discusses how parents can learn to cope with "difficult" or temperamental infants, by explaining the work of the…

This publication, third in a biennial series of reports, focuses on the status of children, youth and families in 1979. Chapter I discusses historical and current demographic and economic trends that have occurred in the characteristics and circumstances of the United States population. Chapter II attempts to capture the factor of time in human…

The Center for Comprehensive Health Practice in the East Harlem area of New York City operates an early intervention program called the Infant School to promote the healthy development of high-risk children from birth to 2 years of age, including those of mothers who had been users of cocaine and/or crack. The Infant School curriculum is designed…

In the third and final year of its demonstration grant, the PIPE Project refined and expanded services to families in seven Pueblo Indian communities. Project staff and local Community Health Representatives (CHRs) completed 82 developmental assessments, made more than 400 home visits, and provided ongoing educational services to 27 handicapped…

In the Infant Development, Environment and Lifestyle (IDEAL) Study of methamphetamine (MA) effects on children, the authors screened approximately 27,000 newborn infants for MA exposure, and from that pool derived a sample of in utero MA-exposed children as well as a comparison group matched for other drug use and other factors. IDEAL measures…