The socioeconomic factors leading to the high level of infant mortality in the South, among teenage mothers, and among women living in poverty are discussed. The federal 1987 Budget Reconciliation Bill will expand Medicaid to cover poor pregnant women and young children. Expansion of such programs more than pays for itself. (PS)

This report presents 2000 data on U.S. births, highlighting maternal demographics (e.g., age, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, and educational attainment); maternal characteristics (medical risk factors, weight gain, and tobacco and alcohol use); medical care utilization during pregnancy women (e.g., prenatal care, labor and/or delivery…

The magnitude of childhood lead poisoning has been inexplicably neglected by modern medicine and by legislators. However, since the 1970s, increased attention has been focused on lead poisoning, and advances have been made in several areas, including understanding of the neurodevelopmental and behavioral ramifications of lead poisoning, and…

"The Most Important Nine Months of Your Life" is a program that zeroes in on causes and prevention of birth defects. Program content and instructional strategies are discussed. Topics covered include: birth defects, genetic causes of birth defects, errors during development, environmental influences, and development. Includes list of preventive…

The director of the Birth Defects Center at the University of California at San Francisco addresses the reasons for developing good ways of teaching human genetics. Genetic counseling is discussed within the context of several case histories. (SA)

Sixteen nonretarded young adults with fetal alcohol syndrome were divided into two groups, one with average to above average IQ and one with borderline to low average IQ. Subjects in both groups manifested clear deficits on neuropsychological measures sensitive to complex attention, verbal learning, and executive function at a frequency and…

Reviews genesis of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects in children. Identifies physical characteristics and behavioral indicators found and provides three checklists of observable signs for both disorders. Recommends seven steps for educators to follow in seeking assistance with these conditions. (DLH)

A study involving 244,610 children (ages 6-8) investigated birth risk factors for learning disabilities. Very low birth weight, low 5- minute Apgar score, and low maternal education were associated with highest individual-level risk. Low maternal education, late or no prenatal care, and tobacco use were associated with highest population-level…

There is a strong relationship between students' socioeconomic status and their levels of academic achievement. Although educators should be held accountable for improving the performance of all students, including those living in poverty, schools alone can't eliminate the negative factors associated with poverty that lead to a large achievement…

In 1988, Franklin County Children Services in Columbus, Ohio, initiated the development of a community-based, multidisciplinary process to review all deaths of children on its open caseload, and deaths in cases in which the agency had contact with the child or the child's family in the 12 months preceding the child's death. The review process…

This paper presents results of a survey of 297 parents in Michigan regarding their knowledge of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE), including their knowledge of the characteristics that typify alcohol-related birth defects and prevention measures. Parents surveyed had children in preschool regular education, preschool…

Intended for teachers and caregivers who deal with children exposed prenatally to substance abuse, this book gives a general overview of the problem of prenatal substance exposure, describes some of the common issues for children living in drug and alcohol involved families, and offers some practical suggestions for helping these children and…

The physical and neurobehavioral findings at 3 years of age for 39 children born to mothers on methadone- maintenance and 23 children born to drug-free comparison mothers are reported. The methadone children had a higher incidence of head circumferences less than the third percentile, nystagmus/strabismus, and otitis media. No differences were…

This report examines the determinants of the high level of infant mortality in Washington, D.C. Data were analyzed for 36,872 black resident single-delivery births occurring in the years 1980 through 1984, and 762 infant deaths occurring to these birth cohorts from 1980 to 1985. Findings were the following: (1) poor birthweight distribution among…