Exposure to stress early in life permanently shapes activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and the brain. Prenatally, glucocorticoids pass through the placenta to the fetus with postnatal impacts on brain development, birth weight (BW), and HPA axis functioning. Little is known about the biological mechanisms by which…

Prenatal and neonatal events were reported by parents of 13,690 eighteen-month-old twins enrolled in the Twins Early Development Study, a representative community sample born in England and Wales. At ages 7-8, parents and teachers completed questionnaires on social and nonsocial autistic-like features and parents completed the Childhood Asperger…

This article is a critique of a study which concluded that there is a relationship between the use of obstetrical drugs and the behavior of infants during the first month of life. (BRT)

This article is a reply to a critique of the authors' study which concluded that there is a relationship between the use of obstetrical drugs and the behavior of infants during the first month of life. (BRT)

Criticizes Lester, Als, and Brazelton's 1982 reanalysis of data presented by Scanlon, Nelson, Grylack, and Smith in 1979. Discusses (1) clinical interpretation of the ponderal index (a weight-for-length ratio); and (2) inaccurate measurement of crown-heel length; (3) Lester et al.'s suggested relationship between the ponderal index, maternal drug,…

Replies to Scanlon's criticism of Lester, Als, and Brazelton's 1982 reanalysis of Scanlon, Nelson, Grylack, and Smith's 1979 data. Discusses the accuracy and interpretation of the ponderal index, reiterating that Lester et al. suggested a hypothesis, not a proof, that low birth weight, combined with maternal obstetric drugs, negatively affects…

Describes the relationship between neonatal crying and anthropometric indices of fetal growth. No differences were found between cry features of underweight and overweight infants; both groups required more stimulation than average weight infants to elicit crying. It is suggested that certain cry features may reflect the risk status of neonates…

Presented are a literature review and new data on correlates of newborn auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABRs). Concludes that disorders of the central components of the ABR may be more of prenatal than of postnatal origin. The I-V interval had low but reliable correlations with four of 11 Brazelton scale variables. (RH)