Compared thinking processes and knowledge of five expert and seven novice mothers of infants. Interview data and verbal protocols obtained through three data collection approaches indicated differences in the knowledge, goals, role beliefs, and behaviors as well as cue recognition and interpretation of experts and novices. Findings have…

Uses a nonsimultaneous pulsation threshold technique to examine the development of frequency resolutions in infants of three to six months. (PCB)

Children at 12, 18, 24, and 30 months of age were observed in same-age, same-sex dyads while they attempted to solve a simple cooperation problem. Each child was given an elicited imitation task that was used to index decentration. Although no dyad of 12 month olds could cooperate, 24 and 30 month olds could coordinate behavior quickly and…

Infants (n=34) were tested on a speech-sound discrimination-in-noise task using the visual reinforcement of infant speech discrimination procedure. An adult control group was also tested. The infant-adult difference in discrimination threshold in noise was 6.9 dB. Advantages of this adaptive threshold procedure and possible applications are noted.…

Notes that Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, which required that states provide comprehensive family-based programs for at-risk children (ages 0-3) and their families, has opened many professional opportunities for social workers. Contends that infant mental health constitutes practice perspective for social workers who apply…

Examined experiences of 215 young birthmothers who placed their infants for adoption through 30 maternity residences and agencies in 13 states. Examined prebirth services they received, their immediate postbirth experiences, and characteristics of their adoption arrangements. Found that several service-procedural variables were related to…

Studied sleep patterns of 50 infants with sleep disturbances by using activity monitor (actigraph) and parental reports during baseline and intervention periods. Used two behavioral intervention methods to treat multiple or prolonged night-waking problems. Infant sleep significantly improved during intervention. Discrepancy between parental and…

Examined demographic and occupational features associated with postpartum plans reported at childbirth and status 6 months later for 205 Canadian women. Women employed until birth were more likely to be primiparous than unemployed women. Parity, socioeconomic status, and part- versus full-time work status failed to discriminate between women's…

Examined maternal reports to determine relationship between parent-infant bed sharing and 2- to 4-month-olds' behavior. Found that 85.8% of infants slept alone; the rest slept with either one or both parents. Solitary sleepers had more positive mood and were more persistent than cosleepers, even with potential confounders controlled. Infants…

Used a modified visual-fixation-based auditory-preference procedure to test preferences for infant-directed singing versus adult-directed singing in 15 two-day-old hearing infants of deaf parents. Subjects heard a Japanese and an English play song. Found that infants prefer infant-directed singing over adult-directed singing and that the…

Used event-related potentials to determine whether infants show differences in spatial and temporal characteristics of brain activation during face and object recognition. Found that infants' experience with specific examples within categories and their general category knowledge influenced the neural correlates of visual processing. (Author/KB)

Examines growth parameters at birth in 204 infants born to mothers who used cocaine and/or opiates during pregnancy. Outcome measures included birth weight, length, and head circumference. Study provides support that in utero cocaine exposure may confer more risk for somatic growth retardation at birth than opiate exposure. (Author/GCP)

Investigated the role of physiological self-regulation (cardiac vagal tone) in information processing (habituation) in infants. Found that decreases in vagal tone consistently related to habituation efficiency at 2 and 5 months. Within- and between- age suppression of vagal tone predicted accumulated looking time (ALT), but ALT did not predict…

In the zeal to promote much-needed governmental funding of infant day care, there is tendency to glamorize alternative care-giving arrangements. In most cases, the quality of infant care will be optimized when delivered at home by mature, competent parents or parent surrogates. These benefits should not be devalued to bolster the cause of infant…

Explores factors that influence the usefulness of individualized temperament materials for parents of infants. Most parents found the materials useful. Global perception of temperamental difficultness and educational level were associated with usefulness; usefulness was not associated with parity. Results suggest that temperament guidance…