This monograph presents the proceedings of the first National Institute on Drug Abuse technical review related to the conduct of controlled studies on prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse. Papers in the monograph are categorized by session. The first session (two papers) focused on the detection and quantification of prenatal drug exposure in…

While the commitment to technology for neonatal and infant hearing screening in this country has come a long way and is evolving rapidly, the average age of 18-30 months, at which young children with auditory disabilities are identified, is still unacceptable. The promise of earlier detection, diagnosis, and habilitation of hearing loss is within…

With the advent of Public Law 99-457, special educators may be expected to observe and/or serve on Hospital Ethics Committees (HECs) in order to better assist families who have seriously ill and handicapped infants and children. Issues considered by such committees include alternative viewpoints on infant euthanasia and their right to life, the…

Discussed are attempts made by staff at the Community Mental Health Center of the New Jersey School of Medicine to develop an ongoing working relationship with pediatric neonatologists, house staff, and nursing staff in order to promote their attunement to mental health needs and obtain access to their expertise. After a description of the center…

The effects of low, full (normal) and high birthweights on the broad range of neonatal behaviors measured by the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale were investigated in a study which also attempted to replicate results of the authors' earlier study of the Brazelton Scale. Data from the original sample of 52 infants were included in the later…

This thesis explores parental perspectives on hearing-screening of children, and the importance of the time of detection of a congenital hearing impairment for the child's development. A qualitative approach based mainly on interviews was employed, and the results were analyzed according to three different methods-empirical phenomenology, grounded…

Discusses the alarming rise in numbers of infants perinatally exposed to illegal drugs, including crack and cocaine. Schools must provide more services for these babies. Service delivery systems should be developed and coordinated to help these babies. (GH)

Discusses legislation aimed at prevention, identification, and treatment of prenatal exposure to controlled substances and the consequences of such exposure. Coercive state intervention can include involuntary civil commitment, child protection; and criminal prosecution. Such intervention raises constitutional issues of privacy and…

A training model is described that promotes collaboration between neonatal intensive care unit professionals and early intervention staff regarding the care of premature infants. The goal is to train service providers to implement a seamless system of family-centered interventions and to transition from inpatient to community services. (Author/SW)

The Amiel-Tison Neurological Assessment at Term (ATNAT) is part of a set of three different instruments based on a neuro-maturative framework. By sharing a same methodology and a similar scoring system, the use of these three assessments prevents any rupture in the course of high risk children follow-up from 32 weeks post-conception to 6 years of…

This document compiles abstracts of papers that were presented at a 3-day conference of experts which developed a consensus statement on early identification of hearing impairment in infants and young children. Papers addressed taxonomy; epidemiology; developmental consequences of early hearing impairment; methodology, instrumentation, and…

The 14 chapters of this book review the research and offer guidelines for intervention with infants and children having fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects (FAS/FAE). Chapters are grouped into five sections on the diseases of fetal alcohol, the science of FAS, a life-span approach to FAS, preparing people with FAS for life in the…

The development of sensory and perceptual ability in infants is an important area of infancy research. This book reflects current knowledge of perceptual development and points to some of the many questions that remain unanswered. The book is divided into four parts. Part 1, "How the Visual System Develops: Normal and Abnormal…

A study of 162 third graders in New York City finds that slightly over half of children in special education are males with Medicaid coverage and mothers with medical conditions or adverse health habits at birth. Two-thirds of children with this combination were in special education. (SLD)

Assessment at age seven of 17 very low birthweight (VLBW) children who had chronic lung disease (CLD) at birth and 28 VLBW children without CLD found that, although CLD did not appear to confer much added risk to health, it did seem to add significantly to risks for poor school performance that are known to be associated with very low…