The article addresses clinical, neurodevelopmental, and psychological experiences of pregnant parents to build the case for shifting therapeutic approaches to promote the earliest possible connections between parents and their infant. The article emphasizes the rationale for therapeutic interface with families in pregnancy as it relates to stress…

Parental substance use disorders negatively impact a child's development both prenatally and postnatally. Caregivers struggling with substance use disorders, and Opioid Use Disorder in particular, often have difficulty accessing appropriate holistic clinical interventions and are at high risk of losing custody of their children due to abuse and…

This article reviews the research base on the development of prenatal attachment and profiles four programs that foster this essential prenatal relationship: CenteringPregnancy®, the Practical Resources for Effective Postpartum Parenting program (PREPP), Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP), and Moms2B.

Prenatal exposure to alcohol results in complex problems for the developing child, some of which are long lasting, and may be irreversible. The earlier the intervention, the higher the probability of a positive outcome. In this article, the author illustrates the complex challenges stemming from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and how a…

Objective: To examine the relationship between early parenting stress and later child behavior in a high-risk sample and measure the effect of drug exposure on the relationship between parenting stress and child behavior. Methods: A subset of child-caregiver dyads (n = 607) were selected from the Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS), which is a large…

A review of the existing literature on the occurrence of challenging behavior among children with prenatal drug exposure was conducted. While a large number of studies were identified that evaluated various outcomes of prenatal drug exposure, only 37 were found that directly evaluated challenging behaviors. Of the 37 studies, 23 focused on…

Despite general evidence of fetal toxicities associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), there has been limited research focusing on the effects of parental alcohol use on SIDS occurrence, either directly or in interaction with other risk conditions. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on parental, especially maternal,…

Exposure to alcohol in utero is considered to be the leading cause of developmental disabilities of known etiology. The most severe consequence of such exposure, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is characterized by a distinct constellation of characteristic facial anomalies, growth retardation, and central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. Some…

Five separate bibliographies present citations of resources regarding prenatal risk, premature and low birthweight infants, infant nutrition and breastfeeding, and early intervention for infants with disabilities. The first bibliography lists 133 references from medical texts and journals regarding child development, disabilities, diagnosis, and…

This study followed a small group of children exposed to pre- and perinatal health threats to determine whether any psychological effects of the health threat could be identified and if so, whether there is potential in pediatric care to prevent such consequences. The 67 infants were all members of low income families. The tests used included the…

This report presents a cumulative risk score system designed to identify high-risk infants through multiple assessments over an extended period of time. The system scores prenatal, natal, and neonatal biological events and neonatal behavioral performance in an additive fashion. Infants are assessed in the first month of life to distinguish those…

This practicum was designed to increase nurturing relationships between primary caregivers and infants prenatally exposed to cocaine. Goals were to increase the general emotional well-being of the caregivers within the family unit, to increase the interpersonal competence of the caregivers in relation to the care receiving infants, and to increase…

Noting that although the causes of violence are highly complex and multifaceted, this book argues that a growing body of scientific knowledge demonstrates that maltreatment during the 9 months of fetal growth and the first 24 months after birth often leads to violent older children and adults. Following an introduction, the book contains the…