Statistics show that the improvement in the U.S. infant mortality rate began slowing down in 1981 and completely ended in 1985; this has been reflected in a significant increase in the percentage of infants born prematurely and with low birth weight. Increased attention is being given to the effects of maternal behavior during pregnancy, and…

These guidelines were written to help families coordinate the health care that may be needed by a child with spina bifida. The booklet begins with general information about spina bifida. It then discusses the goals of health care, the health care team, the importance of periodic health care, and record keeping procedures. The child's health care…

This booklet, organized in a question and answer format, is designed to help state and local education officials, Medicaid officials, and others understand the federal policies governing conditions under which the Medicaid program can pay for the related services required by the individualized education program of a child with disabilities. An…

Although the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) has been called an "epidemic" on some American Indian reservations, solutions for Native American women with alcohol and drug dependency problems have largely been ignored by the federal government. FAS prevention policy, originating around 1979, has been driven by the simplistic…

A survey of Hispanic residents of Oklahoma City assessed their knowledge of and need for health, social, and educational services. Home interviews were conducted with 212 Hispanic households in areas identified as having a high density of Hispanics. One adult was interviewed in each household. Interviewee characteristics included 28% under age 25,…

The American Indian Rehabilitation Project aimed to provide older American Indians with vision problems useful skills for carrying out daily activities as independently as possible and for preventing unnecessary dependence on others and premature and unwarranted institutionalization. The project goals were to: (1) develop a 5-day, seven-module…

This paper reports on a study of higher education health-care coverage for retirees including trends in coverage since 1987, major current provisions of institutions' coverage, and program cost controls. A total of 1,6701 institutions responded to a retiree heath-care survey. Among the findings were: (1) 61 percent of colleges and universities and…

A study used data from the Employee Benefits Surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to examine the influence of employer-provided retiree health insurance on retirement decisions. The analysis found that most coverage is similar to that of active workers but takes Medicare into consideration, and requires retiring workers to meet…

The report summarizes the health status and service needs of children in the United States. The first of the report's three sections describes the general population to provide a context for health measures. In the second section selected health status measures are presented graphically with accompanying text organized according to three age…

This report addresses concerns about the quality of biomedical and behavioral research conducted in the United States and the role that federally supported research and training plays in developing it. In addition, current and projected supply of and demand for scientists in the biomedical and behavioral fields is assessed. These fields include…

The Penn State Mini Medical School is a high-impact community engagement program created and led by the Office of Continuing Education at the Penn State College of Medicine. The broad goals of the program are to respond to the general public's intense desire for health and medical information, to educate the community about biomedical science and…

This directory is one component of the Career Survival Kit prepared for teenage parents in Wisconsin. The directory lists resources in Wisconsin for education, employment, social services, and organizations in a variety of areas that can help students with their roles as parent/homemaker and wage earner/student. The directory identifies…

The mental health policies of the past 20 years and the evidence of unserved populations suffering from serious mental illness constitute a public health crisis. Currently there are at least 3,000,000 people in the United States suffering from mental disorders. A fully developed continuum of care is needed to respond effectively to the diverse…

In 1969, the Joint Commission on the Mental Health of Children made several recommendations based on the conclusions in their report entitled "Crisis in Child Mental Health: Challenge for the 1970's." These recommendations included formation of a child advocacy system at every level of society; the development of supportive, preventive,…

This study analyzes major federal programs designed to provide services to children, from birth through age 2, who have developmental delays or a high probability of developmental delays, and their families. Programs were selected based on their provision of education or health-related services to infants and toddlers with handicaps and their…