Objective: This study assessed the unique and interactive effects of child maltreatment and mothers' physical intimate partner violence (IPV) status on low-SES African American children's psychological functioning. Methods: Mothers were recruited from a large, inner-city hospital, and those who met eligibility criteria were asked to complete a…

Comparison of the histories of 59 mothers of children (mean age 13 months) referred for nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT) and 131 mothers of children with normal growth found a surprising 80% of NOFTT mothers reported they were victims of abuse as children. The need for treatment of the mother-child dyad is stressed. (Author/DB)

Women (n=97) identified as at risk for engaging in child abuse were referred to the Child Parent Enrichment Project (CPEP) during or just after pregnancy. CPEP services involve home visits and linkage to community resources. No advantages on self-report measures or child abuse reports were found for the CPEP group compared to a control group. (DB)

Nine women imprisoned for fatal child maltreatment were interviewed concerning their perceptions of interactions with their children, pregnancy and childbirth, mother-child separations and reunions, child development, rejection, children's behavior, and prior child abuse. Interpretation of their children as developmentally abnormal and…

Offers evidence supporting a model of bidirectional effects: the mother initiates maltreatment, but both mother and infant sustain the situation by their behaviors. Maltreated infants did not differ from controls in congenital characteristics, but displayed deviance in learned behavior patterns. Infants showed behavioral improvement after…

A literature review and case study provide detailed characteristics of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a form of child abuse wherein the mother falsifies illness in her child through simulation and/or production of illness, presenting the child for medical care while disclaiming knowledge of its etiology. Guidelines for medical, social service, and…

Children born to mothers who used illicit drugs during pregnancy were assessed for subsequent abuse or neglect. Of the 513 children exposed inutero to drugs, 102 were substantiated as abused or neglected. Infants exposed inutero to drugs had a higher than expected risk of subsequent abuse compared to children in the general population. (Author/SW)

The conference papers and discussions presented in this volume convey current information and are intended to serve as a guide for intervention by health professionals and others involved with high-risk parenting situations. High-risk parenting is defined as a social condition in which normal patterns of parent/child behavior and interaction are…

The process by which parents become attached to their infants was the focus of a roundtable discussion. Participating were students of the attachment process in various animal species, as well as clinicians and researchers, from various disciplines, engaged in studying the development of attachment in parents of normal infants, parents of…

Designed to simplify the search for federal government resources on maternal and child health, this guide was prepared for use by health professionals, educators, administrators, and the general public. It describes over 250 print and nonprint (posters, audiovisuals) resources in prenatal, infant, child, and adolescent health. The guide is divided…