Despite policymakers' increasing interest in how fathers and fathering affect the well-being of children, research into the roles of low-income fathers has not met the needs of policymakers, who could benefit from better understanding of the factors affecting fathers' continuing support of and engagement in relationships with their children. In an…

Describes the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, which is used to assess infants' competence in organizing their states of consciousness, interactive capacities, physiological responses, and environmental responsiveness. Various projects which have used the scale are reported. The predictive value and clinical uses of the scale are…

This study examines the feasibility of predicting child abuse and neglect by screening parents during the perinatal and the early neonatal periods. (Author/EB)

The article reviews the problem of following up high-risk inner city infants. Only 26 percent of infants discharged from urban neonatal intensive care units are followed developmentally. The high incidence (20 percent) of developmental delay identified during developmental screening in inner city community health clinics suggests the importance of…

Reviews problems of crack-addicted babies. Suggests the following areas for grant support: (1) results of fetal exposure; (2) medical treatment and foster care for newborns; (3) research on behavioral changes resulting from crack use; (4) public awareness materials; (5) education for addicted mothers who keep their babies; and (6) removing babies…

Presents the use of six sensorimotor functions (SMF) as a screening test for cerebral palsy in neonates. Functions include sitting in air, self-pulling to sit, self-propelling Katona slide crawl, assisted crawling, and elementary walking. Nine case examples are provided in an appendix. (Author/CR)

Assessed parental gender-stereotyped perceptions of their newborn infant within a group of 40, mostly Caucasian, pairs of parents. Findings show stereotyped descriptions (that is, finer features, less strong, more delicate, and so on) were used when comparing newborn girls with boys. These perceptions persisted across a one-week time interval.…

A study of six Mexican immigrant families with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit found they had distinct caregiving beliefs and certain hospital practices were different from their beliefs and customs. Communication and cultural barriers were identified family stressors. Extended family were described as a valuable source of support.…

This article describes BEGINNINGS, an interim Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for use in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It discusses the rationale that supports the process, the format, and recommendations for its implementation. The program's early intervention services help to identify supports and to facilitate transition to…

Human newborns discriminate languages from different rhythmic classes, fail to discriminate languages from the same rhythmic class, and fail to discriminate languages when the utterances are played backwards. Recent evidence showing that cotton-top tamarins discriminate Dutch from Japanese, but not when utterances are played backwards, is…

Traditionally, mothers provide banana to their neonates as well as discharge their colostrum prior to breastfeeding, increasing the risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Health education modules, based on ethnographic study, to discourage these detrimental practices were developed for use by community leaders. Two thousand six hundred and…

This second section of the Guidelines for Establishing Hospital-Based Immunization Education Programs for Mothers of Newborns discusses program implementation in the hospital setting. Brief discussions center on the following topics: (a) Gaining Administrative Approval and Support, (b) Utilizing Hospital Staff and Volunteer Resources (includes the…

In this study, 104 primarily indigent primiparous mothers from urban and rural areas and their healthy, full-term neonates were placed in one of four conditions during the normal postpartum lying-in period. Conditions were control, initial contact, rooming-in, and initial contact plus rooming-in. Dependent variables consisted of scores on the…

This report examines the determinants of the high level of infant mortality in Washington, D.C. Data were analyzed for 36,872 black resident single-delivery births occurring in the years 1980 through 1984, and 762 infant deaths occurring to these birth cohorts from 1980 to 1985. Findings were the following: (1) poor birthweight distribution among…

The present investigation studied early intervention service provision for young children. A total of 377 early intervention programs in Ohio provided data on the number of young handicapped and "at risk" children served, the types of services provided for children and their parents, and financial support. Although a large number of…