The scores of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) have been declining since 1963. While this decline has occurred, scores on achievement tests administered to students in grades 3 to 11 have been stable. An alalysis of the medical and epidemiological literature was conducted to determine whether there could be a health factor that might have caused…

This book presents state-by-state information on 10 indicators of child and adolescent health, education, and social and economic well-being. Indicators were chosen because they represented measures generally comparable across states and widely regarded as reliable. Indicators were: (1) percentage of births with no early prenatal care; (2) infant…

To help predict physical, mental, and social behavior problems in school age children, this longitudinal study intended to identify the origins of dysfunction and the characteristics which put infants at high risk for future problems. The study provided background data for the development of an operational screening and assessment method. The…

This paper discusses the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). It then presents information from biological and adopted parents of 14 individuals (ages 4-23 years) diagnosed with FAS or FAE, based on a parent survey concerning behavioral and educational histories of their children.…

It is well documented that perinatally HIV-infected children experience difficulty in learning as well as behavioral and social problems in the school setting. While the research is mixed on the effect of the HIV virus on behavioral and social problems, it is much clearer on the effect of this virus on learning. This exploratory study identifies…

The Center for Comprehensive Health Practice in the East Harlem area of New York City operates an early intervention program called the Infant School to promote the healthy development of high-risk children from birth to 2 years of age, including those of mothers who had been users of cocaine and/or crack. The Infant School curriculum is designed…

This report presents information on infants and toddlers (ages birth to three) with delaying or disabling conditions, who were enrolled in Washington State public services on December 1, 1997, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part H. Major findings included: (1) there was a total enrollment of 5,007 infants and toddlers (2.1…

This study compared sentence comprehension skills in typically developing children 5-17 years of age, children with language impairment (LI) and children with focal brain injuries (FL) acquired in the pre/perinatal period. Participants were asked to process sentences "on-line", choosing the agent in sentences that varied in syntactic complexity…

The problems of those children who are chronically malnourished, the cultural environment of malnutrition, and the extent to which children are temporarily or permanently handicapped in learning because of malnutrition are discussed in this booklet. It also describes hunger and its effects on child development. The topics addressed are: definition…

During the early 1980s, use of crack cocaine by expectant mothers introduced U.S. schools and social agencies to a large cohort of children with attachment problems, attention and learning difficulties, hyperactivity and other abnormal behaviors. Research focused on the early characteristics and needs of so-called "crack kids," but little…

Studies by many scientists have shown that the fetal period is the most important one for the development of a baby. It has been shown that this is the time when the basis for many diseases of the adult is formed. Among risk factors, the work environment is of considerable importance, as its influence on the woman's organism stands at 25 to 40…

Background: It is not known if the prevalence of parental psychiatric disorders is higher in stepfather than intact families, or if parental alcoholism is differentially associated with risk for conduct disorder (CD) symptoms in stepfather families versus intact families. Method: The sample comprised 839 girls and 741 boys from 792 intact families…

The first section of this volume, designated "the state of the art 1987," contains four papers addressing issues of continuing importance to those who work with developmentally handicapped children: (1) "Passive Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Adversely Affects the Health of Fetuses and Infants" (James E. Haddow and Paula K.…