This article is excerpted from the authors' "The Community-Based Doula: Supporting Families Before, During, and After Childbirth", published in 2006 by "ZERO TO THREE." In the U.S., many new parents are socially isolated and lack access to ongoing caring and support because of poverty, immigration, language barriers, or the growing mobility and…

Background: Methodological challenges such as confounding have made the study of the early determinants of mental health morbidity problematic. This study aims to address these challenges in investigating antenatal, perinatal and postnatal risk factors for the development of mental health problems in pre-school children in a cohort of Western…

This document is a Congressional report about a proposed amendment to the Public Health Service Act to provide for a program to carry out research on the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES), to educate health professionals and the public on the drug, and to provide for certain longitudinal studies regarding DES. The amendment itself is presented in the…

Data from 1976 New Hampshire birth certificates were used to examine the correlations between the degree (month of pregnancy that prenatal care began) and intensity (number of prenatal visits) of prenatal care and low infant birth weight, illegitimacy, maternal age, maternal education, and complications of pregnancy. The rate of low birth weight…

The author cites research findings which link alcoholism in pregnant women to abnormalities of the central nervous system and mental retardation in offspring. (CL)

Replies to comments by David Rush concerning the effectiveness of a WIC program in improving pregnancy outcomes among Massachusetts women. (GC)

Studies show a crucial role for good pre-natal nutrition to prevent any lasting brain damage. (DM)

The article presents a case history of a pair of male monozygotic twins who both had autism. During pregnancy the mother suffered from severe toxemia, and delivery occurred 2 months before term. (Author/DLS)

This review emphasizes research that confirms or questions established practices regarding maternal and infant nutrition. Controversial issues include weight gain and use of vitamins and mineral supplements during pregnancy and the effects of second-hand smoke. Infant nutrition topics include use of unmodified cow's milk, level of fat, and…

A description of the development of movement by infants covers prenatal influences, gravity influences, sensory aspects of motor skills, deformities and deviations in the developmental sequence, and ways to assist infants with abnormal development patterns. (CB)

Effects of prenatal cocaine exposure and parental versus nonparental care on outcome at 2 years of age were examined. The sample included 83 cocaine-exposed and 63 nonexposed children and their caregivers; 49 and 34 of the cocaine-exposed children experienced parental and nonparental care, respectively. Prenatal drug exposure was not related…

The ratio between the 2nd and 4th fingers (2D:4D)--a potential proxy for prenatal testosterone (T) exposure--shows a sex difference, with males usually having lower mean values; the latter potentially indicates higher prenatal T exposure. We studied relations between 2D:4D and competencies in the domains of counting, number knowledge, and…

There is a robust association between prenatal smoking and disruptive behavior disorders, but little is known about the emergence of such behaviors in early development. The association of prenatal smoking and hypothesized behavioral precursors to disruptive behavior in toddlers (N=93) was tested. Exposed toddlers demonstrated atypical behavioral…

Objectives: Prenatal exposure to alcohol interferes with fetal development and is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify current knowledge, diagnosis, prevention, and intervention practices related to fetal alcohol syndrome and related conditions by members of the…