The study examined medical and social services to pregnant women, newborns and their families in 10 European countries and suggested implications for policy and practice in the United States. The 10 countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) tend…

This article discusses ethical questions in providing prenatal services, including testing and genetic engineering, and medical interventions with neonates and other very young children who have severe disabilities. It explores ways to enhance ethical decision making, including recruitment for multidisciplinary teams or other committees of adults…

Some of the principal research advances of the 1970s related to pregnancy and newborn infants and consequent changes in obstetrical practice are summarized in this report. The process of infant-parent attachment (bonding), adolescent pregnancy, and the reproductive hazards of tobacco, alcohol, and poor nutrition have been investigated and, in…

Trends during the 1980s are described including high infant mortality, no decline in low birthweight percentages, an increase in the black-white infant mortality gap, more high-risk pregnancies, and inadequate prenatal care. Inadequate progress in reducing infant mortality is attributed in part to the limited technological ability to save…