This report discusses the use of cocaine throughout history; the introduction of crack cocaine in the early 1980s; its use by pregnant women; and the resulting impact on their infants, including premature births, deformities, and impaired neurological functioning. Studies which show that the neurological impairments continue into at least early…

This study examined patterns of social interactions and play activities in Japanese day care settings. Fifty children between 6 and 36 months of age in five day care centers in Tokyo were observed over several prescribed time intervals. Variables measured during the observations included: (1) type of social interaction; (2) type of activity…

Included in this proceedings is a schedule of activities and the text of addresses made at a one-day institute for educators. Dr. Asa Hilliard of Georgia State University delivered the keynote address, which focused on the power of teaching to make a difference. Ten additional topics were addressed in four subsequent sessions. Papers given in the…

This manual offers practical guidelines for many of the concerns that parents have about their infants and toddlers. The manual is divided into seven chapters; each is written by an expert in the field of pediatrics, early childhood education, nutrition, or family care. The following areas are covered: (1) newborn and infant care; (2) growth and…

The antecedents and consequences of adolescent pregnancy attracted a great deal of research attention during the 1970's. National statistics show the number of births to adolescent mothers has been declining. To analyze trends in the incidence of births to adolescents in Maine between 1971 and 1980 and to provide a profile of the health and…

This document reviews China's population trends and policies since the People's Republic was founded in 1949. Areas addressed include: population growth before 1949, population growth from 1949-1982, and policy responses to population growth (including wan xi shao: later marriages, longer intervals between birth, and fewer children); mortality…

All fifteen issues of a monthly eight-page newsletter for parents of infants are provided in this document. The first three issues offer advice on becoming a parent, preparing for childbirth, and caring for the baby at birth. The remaining 12 issues take up in sequence each of the baby's first 12 months of life. Parents are informed about…

This practicum was designed to increase the ability of physical therapy students to be innovative in the treatment of children, 0 to 3 years old, by creatively using toys and games. The practicum involved: (1) administering a test to seven senior physical therapy majors to determine students' current knowledge; (2) administering a questionnaire to…

This paper presents normative data on height, weight, and body mass in a birth cohort studied prospectively from birth to the age of 7 years. Data are presented by gender and race. The cohort was meant to be representative of the St. Louis metropolitan area in that it included poor people's children, and especially black children who had rarely…

This series of 12 short newsletters provides parents with information on their child's growth and development in each month of the child's first year. Specific information on the child's physical, social, emotional, and language development is provided, along with information on feeding and health issues. Each newsletter also focuses on a…

Ideas for fine tuning the awareness and responsive interactions of teachers of infants and toddlers are offered. The ideas, which are supported by theory, research, and clinical experience, focus on the importance of: (1) tender, careful holding of babies; (2) prompt and accurate interpretation of the signals of distress; (3) development of keen…

This study examined motor, academic, and behavioral performance of 38 nine-year-old Australian children who had been described as biologically "at-risk" from neonatal conditions. In addition to individual tests taken by subjects, school progress questionnaires were administered to teachers and parents. Subjects were found to require a…

This newsletter theme issue addresses adoption and the young child's life. Contributors suggest ways in which practitioners in many professions and settings can better understand and support adoptive families. The first article, "Adoption, 1990" by Barbara F. Nordhaus and Albert J. Solnit, reviews the history of adoption and notes obstacles to…

The impact of the Rural Alabama Pregnancy and Infant Health (RAPIH) Program was evaluated in relation to prenatal care, birth outcome measures, and several child health and home environment outcomes. Begun in 1983, RAPIH targets poor rural blacks in three of west-central Alabama's poorest counties, where economic conditions and infant mortality…