Assesses the effect of prenatal education about newborn sickle cell screening on parents' compliance with the follow-up for infants with sickle cell trait. Results show that parents whose prenatal education included sickle cell hemoglobinopathy information retained significantly more of the information given during the post-natal education than…

Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) were collected from 669 British Children aged between 1 and 2 years. Comprehension and production scores in each age group were calculated. This provides norming data for the British infant population. Data from British infants is compared to data from American infants. (Author/VWL)

Replies to commentary regarding authors' earlier article proposing a modified constructivist account of origins of mental representation. Elaborates on Smith's discussion contrasting empiricist and constructivist approaches. Discusses Smith's restatement of Piaget's position in terms of levels of representational capacities and replies to specific…

Examines the relation of scientific research on intelligence to issues of public policy by reviewing a critical analysis of the Infant Health and Development Program, an early intervention program for low birth weight infants. Early intervention research can play an important role in shaping public policy. (SLD)

Explores the benefits of touch and affection to infant development, noting that in addition to psychological benefits, touch is an important stimulus to the central nervous system. (HTH)

Describes the development of attachment of infant to parent or caregiver during infancy. Explores the impact of attachment, whether good or poor, on later development, and factors contributing secure or insecure/anxious attachment. Notes that obstacles to secure attachment can often be overcome with counseling. (HTH)

Evaluation of an early literacy initiative in which free books and literacy information were given to 40 caregivers of infants. Compared book-related activity in the home before and 2 months after the program. Results showed significant increases in book ownership and frequency of mothers and babies looking at children's books together. (SK)

A study examined the stability of and relationships among the maternal attitudes of mothers of 35 cocaine-exposed infants and ratings of infant temperament. Of the infant and maternal variables, only infant temperament was found to be a significant predictor of maternal global attitudes at 6 months of age. (Author/CR)

This study used delayed nonmatching to sample (DNMS) to test the recognition memory function dependent on the medial temporal lobe. Results from three conditions of DNMS tests with 9- and 12-month-olds suggest that the critical late-maturing competence accounting for DNMS success is the ability to understand that the stimulus is a symbol or marker…

Summarizes Bruer's work, which questions the prevailing emphasis on the first 3 years as most critical to brain development. Notes that the book both elucidates a "blueprint" for mounting an effective public awareness campaign, and provides an excellent synopsis of implications of contemporary neuroscience for early childhood education…

Discusses how the American Association of University Professors wants colleges to give scholars who have newborns extra time before tenure reviews. There appears to be a reluctance of the part of faculty to take advantage of such policies, however, because of fear of being stigmatized. (EV)

Considers Boysson-Bardies' book a thorough and thought-provoking description of early language development and the research related to how infants learn to talk and respond to speech. Notes the value of the book's discussion of cross-cultural variation in vocabulary development and individual differences related to special education. (JPB)

Two experiments used a mutual imitation paradigm to assess 9-, 14-, and 18-month-old infants' developing understanding of intentions in others. In the first study, 1 experimenter imitated the infants' actions, and another experimenter performed contingent but different actions on an identical toy. From 9 months of age, infants show discrimination…

The characteristics of scanning patterns between the ages of 6 and 26 weeks were investigated through repeated assessments of 10 infants. Eye movements were recorded using a corneal-reflection system while the infants looked at 2 dynamic stimuli: the naturally moving face of their mother and an abstract stimulus. Results indicated that the way…

The use of an adult as a resource for help and instruction in a problem solving situation was examined in 9, 14, and 18-month-old infants. Infants were placed in various situations ranging from a simple means-end task where a toy was placed beyond infants' prehensile space on a mat, to instances where an attractive toy was placed inside closed…