Investigated 7-month olds' ability to relate vowel sounds with objects when intersensory redundancy was present versus absent. Found that infants detected a mismatch in the vowel-object pairs in the moving-synchronous condition but not in the still or moving-asynchronous condition, demonstrating that temporal synchrony between vocalizations and…

This article discusses six criteria for justifying universal infant hearing screening, including: significant consequences must result when the disorder is not detected, programs must be available, accessible, and cost-effective, and birth-admission screening must result in an improved outcome. It concludes that universal detection of infant…

Notes that research is confirming that much of what makes a person unique is the result of experiences in the first three years of life. Notes the long-term effects of inadequate nurturing, the role of extended family, and the challenges for parents, educators, and policymakers posed by these research findings. (HTH)

Suggests that parents underestimate children's capacity for regulating wisely what and how much they eat. Examines issues in nutrition, noting that, although it is important for young children to eat right, it is more important for them to like food, enjoy being at the table, know when they're hungry, and to quit eating when they are full. (HTH)

Two experiments examined the effects of a culture-general factor, pattern redundancy, on the discrimination of five-tone melodies that differed in their adherence to Western tonal conventions, among 9-month olds, 5-year olds, and adults. Increasing exposure seemed to attenuate the effects of the pattern redundancy while amplifying the influence of…

Discusses a method of adolescent pregnancy intervention that addresses the developmental needs of the adolescents. The previewing process alerts the mother to the imminent developmental trends that her infant will soon be undergoing. Adolescent mothers can also learn how to preview their own maturational changes. (GCP)

Evaluated gender differences in infant and maternal emotional expressivity and regulation with 6-month-old infants and their mothers, using Tronick's face-to-face still-face model. Found that maternal affect, matching, rate of change between matching and mismatching states, and synchrony in the play preceding the still face differentially mediated…

Makes the case that hierarchical linear models or longitudinal multilevel models are a better alternative than standard regression models for empirical tests of predictive developmental hypotheses. Describes a multivariate longitudinal model linking developmental data to a criterion and presents an example from a study of the prediction of infant…

Possible prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal causes of cerebral palsy are explored and a causal pathway theory is presented that provide a methodology to study the impact of the various causal factors. The role of an interdisciplinary team in assessment and program development is discussed and prevention strategies are presented. (Contains…

Patterns of relationships were explored among developmental age, teacher ratings of global engagement, and observed engagement for 9.5- to 63.6-month-olds. Analysis revealed two uncorrelated patterns of relationships: (1) a positive relationship between developmental age and high levels of engagement and a negative relationship with lower…

Examined the development of seven infants with "missing milestones" in motor development. Found that three children had normal development, three developed global developmental delay, and one was diagnosed with multiple cavernous haemangiomata in the brain. Suggested that missing milestones can be a benign variation of normal motor…

Examined longitudinal associations between infant-parent attachment and parent/toddler behavior during storybook interaction. Found that infants with insecure-resistant attachment with mothers were less enthusiastic and focused during storybook interaction at 24 months. Mothers of insecure-resistant infants were less warm/supportive, and less…

This study examined possible relationships between young children's prelinguistic communication behaviors and subsequent (12 months later) expressive and receptive language outcomes. Results indicated that rate of intentional nonverbal communication initially was a predictor of spontaneous word productions later. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

The inadequate parenting associated with mothers' depression may be related to mothers' problems in interpreting infants' emotional expressions. The relations between depressed and well mothers' accuracy at interpreting babies' facial expressions and the quality of the mothers' interactions with their infants were examined. In partial support of…

This study tested the presence of the face inversion effect in 4-month-old infants using habituation to criterion followed by a novelty preference paradigm. Results of Experiment 1 confirmed previous findings, showing that when 1 single photograph of a face is presented in the habituation phase and when infants are required to recognize the same…