Infantile spasms (IS) is a rare epileptic disorder occurring in children under the age of one that can often lead to severe developmental delays throughout life. Though over 200 etiologies have been associated with this disorder, many cases remain unexplained. Research into the etiology of IS has implicated causes such as exposure to prenatal…

Zika virus infection-associated microcephaly has generated public health and media concern. Unsettling images emerging from Brazil of infants with abnormally small heads have raised concern among women of childbearing age, international travelers, government officials, and health care professionals. The World Health Organization declared the most…

Aim: Little is known of minor neurological dysfunction (MND) in infancy. This study aimed to evaluate the inter-assessor reliability of the assessment of MND with the Touwen Infant Neurological Examination (TINE) and the construct and predictive validity of MND in infancy. Method: Inter-assessor agreement was determined in a sample of 40 infants…

Animal models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have been used to demonstrate the specificity of alcohol's teratogenic effects and some of the underlying changes in the central nervous system (CNS) and, more recently, to explore ways to ameliorate the effects of alcohol. The main point of this review is to highlight research findings from…

"Science Briefs" summarize the findings and implications of a recent study in basic science or clinical research. This Brief reports on the study "Perinatal Exposure to a Noncoplanar Bichlorinated Biphenol Alters Tonotopy, Receptive Fields and Plasticity in the Auditory Cortex" (T. Kenet; R. C. Froemke; C. E. Schreiner; I. N. Pessah; and M. M.…

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is currently recognized as the most common known cause of mental retardation, affecting from 1 to 7 per 1000 live-born infants. Individuals with FAS suffer from changes in brain structure, cognitive impairments, and behavior problems. Researchers investigating neuropsychological functioning have identified deficits in…

Since the identification of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) over 35 years ago, mounting evidence about the impact of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy has prompted increased attention to the link between prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and a constellation of developmental disabilities that are characterized by physical, cognitive, and…

Between 400,000 and 800,000 infants are born in the United States each year to women who smoked cigarettes during their pregnancy. Whereas the physical health consequences to infants of prenatal exposure to smoking are well established, the early neurobehavioral consequences are less well understood. This study investigated the neurobehavioral…

Report from the Anglo-American conference of sixty scientists at Wycombe, England. (RJ)

Although it once seemed simple to say that a single event such as birth trauma or asphyxia caused brain disorders like cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and epilepsy, a recent study showed that it is nearly impossible to pinpoint a single cause and its effects. Recommendations for further research are made. (BB)

In the current paper we describe the methodology and results of the Oswego study, in light of D.V. Cicchetti, A.S. Kaufman, and S.S. Sparrow's (this issue) criticisms regarding the validity of the human health/behavioral claims in the PCB literature. The Oswego project began as a replication of the Lake Michigan Maternal Infant Cohort study.…

A prospective study of growth and development during the first 2 years of life was performed on 71 preterm SGA (small-for-gestational-age) infants. Journal Availability: C.V. Mosby Company, 11830 Westline Industrial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63141. (Author/SBH)

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…

Contents of this symposium include the following papers: "Effect of Maternal Protein Malnutrition on Neonatal Lung Development and Mitochondrial Function," E. J. Hawrylewicz, J. Q. Kissane, W. H. Blair and C. A. Heppner; "Effect of the Level of Nutrition on Rates of Cell Proliferation and of RNA and Protein Syntheses in the Rat," L. M. Roeder;…

This paper presents information on several complex aspects of the prenatal drug exposure problem faced by educators and other professionals. The paper examines the incidence of substance-abusing pregnant women and outlines the dimensions of family problems presented by these women in terms of family history, service needs, medical concerns, and…