Previous research on infant-directed speech (IDS) and its role in infants' language development has largely focused on mothers, with fathers being investigated scarcely. Here we examine the acoustics of IDS as compared to adult-directed speech (ADS) in Norwegian mothers and fathers to 8-month-old infants, and whether these relate to direct…

Purpose: This study tested whether the Sitting Together and Reaching to Play (START-Play) physical therapy intervention indirectly impacts cognition through changes in perceptual-motor skills in infants with motor delays. Methods: Participants were 50 infants with motor delays randomly assigned to START-Play plus Usual Care Early Intervention…

The overarching goal of the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE) is to provide information about whether families and children benefit from Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program-funded early childhood home visiting programs as they operated from 2012 to 2017, and if so, how. The MIECHV Program…

Purpose: The aims of this study were (a) to validate the wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) model developed by Myers et al. (2018a) in a new sample of neonates and (b) to develop a prediction model for diagnosing middle ear dysfunction in infants aged 6-18 months using wideband absorbance, controlling for the effect of age. Method: Tympanometry,…

Language is conventional because word meanings are shared among different people. The present study examined Chinese infants' understanding of the language convention that different people should generalize words in the same way. Thirteen-month-old Mandarin-speaking Chinese infants repeatedly viewed a speaker providing a novel label for a target…

This unique guidebook provides theoretical and practical perspective for those who care for infants and toddlers, whether parent, medical professional, educator, or early interventionist. Easy-to-read and engaging, this summary of the Educaring® Approach introduced by Magda Gerber, founder of Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE), highlights the…

The crucial importance of parenting for human development is well known, yet there has been little investigation, particularly regarding infancy parenting. This study investigates mother- and infant-related characteristics affecting parenting styles in the first year after birth. Additionally, adapting an Infancy Parenting Styles Questionnaire…

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine if there is a specific association between motor delays and receptive and expressive language function, respectively, in prematurely born children. Method: Retrospective data review: 126 premature children = 1,250-g birthweight from English-speaking families were evaluated on motor development…

Background: Research indicates that social communicative behaviours develop atypically during the second year in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study evaluated whether these behaviours also differed in the extent to which they were coordinated across modalities. Aims: To measure joint attention behaviours (e.g., gaze shifts, gestures),…

The incidence of infants with congenital syphilis (CS) has been accelerating in the United States and remains an issue of global concern. Infants with CS often experience poor birth, health, and developmental outcomes. These poor outcomes (e.g., prematurity, bone changes, neurodevelopmental impairment) may be exacerbated by social vulnerabilities…

Many aspects may interfere with siblings' adaptation when an infant is born prematurely and hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). During this critical period, siblings may have sudden change of behaviors if their needs are not adequately met. Parents and neonatal nurses are often unaware of the importance of supporting siblings…

Bagless intervention is a term used by professionals to describe early intervention (EI) services in which the provider refrains from bringing a bag of toys into the home for sessions. Instead of using a toy bag to work on child outcomes, the service provider uses materials in the child's home, as well as family routines, to address the…

The increase in the prevalence of smartphones and mobile devices has spurred changes in the caregiving environment of infants and young children, as phones and mobile devices are used at times during caregiving and in caregiving spaces. This use could create disruptions and cause distractions during parenting (termed technoference). This article…

High-quality early education and care experiences are critical for children's growth and development, families' ability to work, and the future health of society. In Greece, with regard to research for children under 3 years of age in early childhood education and care services, the issue of quality has been only marginally researched. The lack of…

Purpose: This clinical focus article describes considerations for recommending assistive hearing technology to infants and young children who have mild bilateral or unilateral hearing loss. These conditions present special challenges compared to bilateral permanent hearing losses that are moderate to profound in their degree in that the…