Discusses efforts to criminalize fetal abuse, harm caused from a pregnant woman's use of illegal drugs. Such efforts have typically failed to withstand judicial scrutiny. Suggests that criminal prosecution for fetal abuse relies on questionable procedures, is unevenly applied, and may keep women from seeking drug treatment or prenatal care. (LKS)

Objective: This study's aim was to determine how patients' and providers' characteristics affect hospital providers' decisions to screen pregnant and postpartum women for illicit substances. Methods: A retrospective design was used. Participants included all low-income women (N=1,100) who delivered at an urban teaching hospital over a 12-month…

Objective: Using a theory of change framework, this study examines outcome measures of a home visitation program that provided services to first-born children and their parents living in southwestern New Mexico. Method: Home visitation workers conducted pretest and posttest assessments for prenatal and postpartum periods for 109 families receiving…

Smoking in pregnancy is a serious health risk to mother and baby that is associated with premature birth, low birth weight and respiratory disorders. Recently it has become apparent that smoking in pregnancy can have long-term consequences for the child, including learning difficulties, elevated risk of diabetes, obesity and asthma. Over the past…

Communication difficulties in multicultural clinical settings can be exacerbated by translators, but their actual impact on medical decisions has not been systematically evaluated. This study sought to determine the influence of translators participating in clinical encounters in which English-speaking clinicians offered amniocentesis to…

This report presents findings of a study tour organized by the French-American Foundation, for 13 United States' health care professionals to examine and interpret the nearly 50-year-old French maternal and child health care system, Protection maternelle et infantile (PMI). Chapter 1 describes the operation of PMI and the possibility of similar…

This collection of six case studies is a by-product of a European-focused study that sought to understand the policies focused on children from birth to age 3, whether directly affecting the children or reaching them indirectly through their parents. The study examined the social infrastructure in which the specific "under-3" policies…

This report presents data on U.S. births using information from the birth certificates of the 3.96 million births in 1999. Data are presented for maternal demographics (age, live-birth order, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, and educational attainment); maternal characteristics (medical risk factors, weight gain, tobacco use, and alcohol…

A survey of pregnant inner-city adolescents at school-based and public hospitals examined relationships between demographics, psychosocial and behavioral characteristics, and tobacco and alcohol behaviors. Results highlighted the heterogeneity of pregnant adolescents served in different clinical settings and indicated a need to tailor educational…

This Kids Count report examines the well being of Tennessee's children, focusing on their health and safety. The statistical portrait is based on 5 health and safety indicators of child well being: (1) adequate prenatal care; (2) low birthweight births; (3) infant mortality; (4) population under 21 years eligible for Medicaid; and (5) child…

This Kiwanis Club project kit contains ideas and instructions for implementing programs that meet local needs in the areas of maternal and infant health, child care and development, parenting, and safety and pediatric trauma. The kit begins with an overview that explains how to assess need and how to plan, implement, and evaluate a project. Tip…

This paper traces the history of "The Right Start," discussing differences between the 50 largest cities and the nation overall and differences among states. It highlights eight measures reflecting a healthy start: teen births, repeat teen births, births to unmarried women, births to mothers with low educational attainment, late or no pregnancy…

This report provides an evaluation of the Prevention Initiative Program's second-funded year in the Chicago Public Schools. The program's purpose was to reduce school failure by providing health and social services to young families, improving parenting skills, and assisting young mothers to complete high school. The program served pregnant or…

About 36,500 infants die each year in the United States, due largely to low birth weight and inadequate prenatal care. The United States ranks twenty-second among the world's nations in infant mortality. This brochure addresses the high infant mortality rate in the United States compared to other developed nations, and notes actions that…

GRADS (Graduation, Reality, and Dual-Role Skills) is an in-school instructional and intervention program for pregnant teens and young parents. Its objectives are to help these students remain in school through graduation, have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies, learn practical parenting and child-development skills, gain an orientation to…