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Nutrition component in a comprehensive child development program. I. The home visitor's role in the prenatal intervention phase.

Nutritional services were integrated in a comprehensive child development program for sixty-eight disadvantaged urban families in an attempt to promote maximum cognitive and psychosocial functioning in their children. Child development trainers made weekly home visits beginning in pregnancy, which combined data gathering, direct nutritional counseling, and early sensory excercises for infants. This paper describes the prenatal home visit program, the training of the home visitors, how the 24-hr. food recall method was adapted for their use, the nature of the home visits, and the complex role of the home visitor. The group whose families participated in the prenatal home visits and were also followed for six months after the infants' birth scored higher on six-month Cattell Scales than did a control group who entered the program at six months of age. There were no stillbirths or neonatal deaths. The incidence of low-birth-weight infants was lower than the national averages. Participation in the program was high.

Child Development

Lesbian motherhood: the impact on child development and family functioning.

The wide variety of lesbian families who became visible during the past 20 years gave rise to important practical and theoretical questions. Up to now society has treated lesbian mothers differently with regard to a number of child-issues. In the past, divorcing lesbian mothers were often denied child custody because of their sexual orientation and the majority of fertility centers still refuse lesbian couples in their donor insemination programs. The present article reviews whether there is any theoretical and empirical evidence for the most widespread assumptions on which such decisions have been based. A number of psychological theories, such as psychoanalytic theory, social and cognitive learning theory and attachment theory are discussed with regard to the two most salient features of lesbian families; the absence of a father and the homosexual orientation of the mother. Meanwhile, there is a growing body of empirical research investigating a variety of aspects of child development, such as gender development, emotional/behavioral adjustment and social competence. Most of these studies involved children of divorced lesbian mothers who spent their early years in a heterosexual household. More recently, however, studies were sporadically carried out among children who were raised from birth in a lesbian relationship. As early childhood experiences are believed to have an important impact on future development, the study of these newly created families provides a challenge for existing psychological theories. Although many important research questions have yet to be addressed, the results of all reviewed studies were unanimous; none of the investigations could identify an adverse effect of lesbian motherhood on child development.

Adolescent

Knowledge and attitude among child development project officers towards breast feeding.

A study was conducted to determine the knowledge and attitude about breast feeding (BF) amongst child development project officers (CDPOs) working in Integrated Child Development Services Scheme. A semi structured pretested questionnaire was administered. It was found that majority of respondent had correct knowledge about feeding of colostrum, age of initiation of breast feeding and introduction of semi-solid foods. Majority of CDPOs had the knowledge that consumption of dry fruits, milk and desi ghee would increase that breast milk secretion. The percentage of subjects who were aware that BF should be discontinued if mother is suffering from illness like breast cancer (48%) tuberculosis (57%), malaria (67%) and Diarrhoea (84%). There is need of continuing education of CDPOs for updating their knowledge.

Breast Feeding

Mode of delivery and developmental characteristics in a thousand Dunedin three year olds: a report from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Child Development Study.

A study of 1037 representative Dunedin children delivered by a variety of modes was described. The results showed that there were no significant differences in maternal general mental ability, training in child development, or background of child experiences among the five delivery groups studied. Also, there were no significant differences between children who were spontaneous deliveries or any of the other groups in age at which the developmental milestones were achieved, nor in any of the developmental characteristics assessed.

Breech Presentation

Increasing adolescent mothers' knowledge of child development: an intervention program.

This study focused upon an intervention program that allowed adolescent mothers to have major input in identifying knowledge they needed concerning their children's growth and their own parenting skills. Seventy-six females participated in the 4-month program. A pretest-posttest design was used to measure changes in self-esteem, knowledge of child development, and tendencies toward inappropriate interactions with children. Analysis of effectiveness of this program indicated that it had been effective. Results revealed significant differences between pre- and posttest measures of child development knowledge in the areas of infant and toddler development. Further analysis indicated a significant change in the subjects' child abuse potential at the end of the program. No significant difference could be found in measures of self-esteem between the beginning and end of the program. A 10-month follow-up study coordinated between two public agencies found that none of the adolescent parents who had completed the program had been reported for child abuse or neglect. The results support the importance of short-term intervention programs for adolescent parents.

Adolescent

A comprehensive care program for pregnant addicts: obstetrical, neonatal, and child development outcomes.

This study reports the results of a comprehensive care program for pregnant addicts, one that provides medical, counseling, and child development services. Findings include the following. Women who enroll while pregnant generally stay through childbirth, and most deliveries are free of complication. Most newborns are of normal gestational age and birthweight, and these outcomes are directly related to length and amount of prenatal care. Neonatal withdrawal is directly related to prenatal maternal methadone dose. Child development, as measured by the Bayley Scales, is usually in the normal range, although mean scores for cognitive development decrease through age 2. Female babies generally have higher cognitive and motor scores than males, and their cognitive scores decline less sharply than those of the males. Developmental scores are directly related to neonatal maturity, especially birthweight. Prenatal maternal methadone dose tends to be negatively related to developmental scores for boys but not for girls.

Adult

The construct of brain maturation in theories of child development.

Developmental psychologists have avoided using brain maturation as a primary construct in theories of child development for a variety of reasons during the past 40 years. However, during the last decade we have seen a return to considering brain growth as a useful element in theory construction. During the past few years, the frontal lobe has received increasing attention with respect to major developmental issues. In this Introduction, we review some of these historical and contemporary trends.

Brain