This report presents outcome data on infant motor activity and behavioral state. Subjects were 45 infants who had birth weight of less than 1,501 grams, were appropriate for gestational age, and were free of major complications. A total of 21 infants were studied during a preintervention (control period), and 24 were studied in a posttraining…

Pressure variations applied by newborns and by infants 1 to 4 months old to rubber nipples were recorded in three different procedures under no-fluid conditions. In the first study, infants were presented for 90 seconds with novel nipples varying in shape and in shape plus material. Results suggested that a developmental trend existed for an…

Results suggested that socioeconomic factors were not major determinants of differences in infant mortality in Texas in the 1970's. Data on live births and infant deaths for 254 Texas counties were obtained from the Texas Department of Health for each of the 11 years from 1970 to 1980. Infant, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality rates were…

A study of the relationship between pain-relieving drugs given to mothers during labor and delivery and neonatal behavior as assessed by the Brazelton Scales. Tested 44 infants on eight different days during their first month of life. (SDH)

To assess the effect of early mother-infant proximity on later stress and behavior, two studies were made which involved a sample of mother-baby pairs that was larger than samples utilized in previous studies. In Study 1, involving 300 consecutive mother-baby couples at the Maternity Hospital in Plymouth, England clinical medical officers used a…

A national, retrospective cross-sectional study of 213 Australian women who relinquished a first child for adoption when they were young and single found that the effects of relinquishment on the mother are negative and longlasting. Relinquishing a child for adoption was viewed as a stressful life-event involving loss. Analyses of data obtained…

To assess the relationship between specific neonatal variables and subsequent mental development, a longitudinal study of 41 children from a high-risk neonatal nursery was conducted. For each child, 58 measures of neonatal condition (e.g., head size, various laboratory values, delivery mode) were available, as were developmental assessments up to…

The report presents accomplishments of a program to stimulate new and improved services to high risk/handicapped infants (0-3), with specific emphasis on new intervention and followup services to chronically hospitalized premature babies in intensive care nurseries (ICNs). Following a summary of project accomplishments (including the provision of…

Mothers' imitation of their infants during the first 3 days of life is examined in this study. Twenty-four newborn infants (12 males, 12 females) and their mothers participated in the study. On each of the first 3 days following delivery, mother-infant pairs were videotaped in a non-feeding interaction for approximately 5 minutes while the infants…

The effects of parity (the number of children a mother bears) and time on the formation of maternal attitudes in the neonatal period are investigated in this study. Subjects were medically normal women, 47 multiparae and 37 primiparae, who delivered healthy, full-term infants. Each woman completed a battery of eight attitude questionnaires at 1-2…

Reports on research conducted to asses the utility of physiological responses for both the prediction of individual differences in attentional capacity and the monitoring of developmental changes in attentional responsivity. Specifically the experiments assessed: (1) Heart rate variability and newborn heart rate responses to illumination changes,…

In this study of 40 primaparous mothers (15 to 36 years of age) and their newborns the significance of predictors of maternal responsiveness was assessed immediately following birth in the delivery room and at feedings 2-3 days and 4 weeks following delivery. The variables used as predictors included the mothers' age and background, prenatal…

This study investigated the possibility of a functional relation between the auditory and visual systems in the human newborn beyond reflexive organization. Visual activity was monitored in 16 newborns through the use of infrared corneal reflection video tape recording. Infants were observed in total darkness and while monocularly viewing a…

This paper presents an overview of the literature on mother-infant attachment behavior. Attachment is defined by Ainsworth as involving affection, discrimination, observable behavior, active participation by both parties, and reciprocal response. The process of attachment is seen by Stone, Smith, and Murphy as taking place in three stages over the…