Children (N=567) in two cohorts were stratified by birthweight into groups of very low birthweight, low birthweight, and normal birthweight. Children were then tracked into the school system to determine educational achievement as an outcome measure. The distribution of handicaps is analyzed, and estimated relative risk ratios are presented.…

A third-year follow-up investigation of socioemotional behaviors of preterm and full-term infants videotaped mother-child and child-peer play sessions. Contributions of gender, birth status, attachment classification, and maternal contingency behavior to children's expressive development were examined. Results suggest that children learn greater…

Examined low achievement in normal-or-above intelligence early adolescents born preterm, in a longitudinal study from birth through 12 years of age, compared to a group with no achievement problems. Found significant group differences in several domains in early adolescence. Also found that biological and social factors in infancy were associated…

Children whose mothers were consistently more responsive during the children's infancy and early adolescence achieved higher IQ and arithmetic scores, had more positive self-esteem, and were reported by teachers to exhibit fewer behavior problems than children of mothers who were consistently less responsive. (BC)

The development of 58 preterm low-risk infants was compared over their first 7 years with 100 full-term infants. The study found "catch up" phenomena at certain ages and periods of reversal. Results also indicated that advantaged family circumstances may reduce or compensate for preterm birth whereas a disadvantaged environment may amplify adverse…

This article outlines historical, socio-cultural, and research information that attests to the fundamental relationship between touch and child development. It describes applications including touch therapies with very low-birthweight infants, with fragile premature infants, and with infants of depressed mothers. (Contains extensive references.)…

A brief history is provided of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a treatment option for infants that provides prolonged circulation and reoxgenation of blood outside the body to temporarily support a failing heart or lungs. The University of Kentucky ECMO program is described, along with the positive outcomes of 19 infants. (Contains…

Examined visual attention and implications for recognition memory in a longitudinal sample of full-term and preterm infants at 5, 7, and 12 months. Found differences between full-terms and preterms in several aspects of visual attention. Infants showed consistent attentional styles over various conditions. Shorter looks and higher shift rates…

The performance of 26 children (ages three through four) who were born before 32 weeks gestation was compared with the performance of 26 full-term children on a range of short-term memory and language measures. Preterm children scored more poorly across the full range of measures. One-third of the preterm children were identified as being "at…

Studied infant temperament in low birth weight (LBW) and full-term (FT) healthy infants in relation to infant temperament and child-rearing stress. Found that although differences between child-rearing stress scores were not significant between mothers of LBW and FT infants, a higher proportion of child-rearing stress could be explained by the…

Examined the effect of a family-oriented early childhood intervention program for low birth weight premature infants and their mothers. Found that the intervention decreased maternal distress, especially for women with less than a high school education. Maternal distress did not moderate or mediate the influence of the intervention on child…

This study examined the cognitive and motor functioning of 52 survivors of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at age 5. Ten percent were diagnosed with mental retardation, while an additional 12 percent presented other disabilities. A common pattern of specific vulnerabilities in cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, and motor…

This article describes how in Alameda County, California, the Children's Hospital Oakland (CHAO) Neonatal Follow-up Program and the County Public Health Department have collaboratively addressed gaps in services for premature infants and their families through the Special Start initiative. Mental health specialists, health specialists, and…

Aims: To examine the relationship between failure to thrive in preterm and term infants and postnatal depression in their mothers. Method: In a whole population birth cohort of 12,391 infants (excluding those born after term or with major congenital abnormalities) failure to thrive over the first nine months was identified using a conditional…

Reported in this paper are preliminary results from a study designed to examine the development of self-esteem and mastery of mothers with infants of very low birth weight (VLBW). (The term "self-esteem" is defined as the degree of positive or negative self-regard reported by an individual, and "mastery" is defined as the…