A neurobehavioral maturity assessment which used data from preterm infants was developed. Eight dimensions of neurobehavioral functioning were found to be stable, nonredundant, and developmentally valid. (PCB)

To test hypotheses concerning interactional histories associated with variation in quality of infant-mother attachment, data were gathered during naturalistic home observations of 60 infants 1, 3, and 9 months of age. Responses were elicited on the Ainsworth and Wittig strange situations. Results concerned mothers' relatively greater influence in…

In a longitudinal study, infants 6 to 18 months of age were observed in their homes playing with their mothers and with peers to determine how they coordinated attention to people and objects. Person engagement declined with age, while coordinated joint engagement increased; both passive and coordinated joint engagement were much more likely when…

The sex-typed toy play of infants and their parents' behavior toward their activities were observed. Girls were more likely to play with dolls than boys, and infants' sex and age affected parental behaviors toward children's toy play. Mothers and fathers apear equally involved in the socialization of their children. (KH)

Examines imitation of motor, vocal, and verbal behaviors by infants 10 to 16 months old. The imitation battery consisted of 21 behaviors in four motor and two vocal categories. The familiarity or novelty of individual behaviors was assessed through maternal interviews. Results are discussed in terms of Uzgaris' (1981) conceptualization of two…

Compares the response of preterm and full-term infants to moving objects presented with or without accompanying sound. Finds differences in attention and recognition between full-terms and preterms at three months of age. At six months of age only high-risk preterms showed different responses than full-terms, suggesting that they are at a…

There has been little change in newborn mortality in the past 20 years, even through proven, cost-effective solutions exist to save many of these young lives. This report reviews the most recent data on the newborn, revealing the alarming poor health and quality of health care for mothers and newborns in virtually all impoverished countries. The…

Betsy Lozoff is among the world's leading experts on iron deficiency and its effects on infant brain development and behavior. Iron deficiency is the most common single nutrient disorder in the world, affecting more than half of the world's infants and young children. Research by Lozoff and others has shown that there are long-lasting…

From time to time, every parent must evaluate a child's symptoms of illness or developmental problems and decide what action to take. This reference book is designed to help parents distinguish minor everyday problems from more serious conditions, and to suggest a reasonable course of action. The book is divided into two major sections: an A to Z…

This study examined the dynamic organization of interactions specific to attachment groups in a learning situation. Participating were 62 mothers and their 12- to 16-month-olds, observed in the laboratory during three 3-minute learning tasks. After the laboratory session was completed, the Strange Situation procedure was conducted. Findings…

Argues that black mothers in the U.S. are adversely affected by the white stereotype of the quiet passive baby, citing evidence that in Africa, black neonates show a rapid growth in motor development, while in Mexico, Mayan Indian babies, just minutes old, demonstrate a precocious development in sensory perception. (Author/JM)

It was concluded that both social and vocal elements are necessary to stimulate a general increase in the number and length of consonant utterances, but there was no evidence that stimulation encouraged infants to imitate the consonant phonemes presented. (Author)

Results suggest that the human infant's response to visual stimulation undergoes change during the neonatal period. (Authors)