Discusses the popularity and nutritional effects of food fads for teenagers, particularly for the growing number of teen mothers, and suggests some solutions. (MS)

Examined the relationship between reading achievement and birth order in 503 Greek children. Found that birth order was not related to vocabulary knowledge or reading comprehension at second grade, but total reading achievement and reading comprehension were higher for first- and second-born sixth graders than for later-born sixth graders. (KB)

Investigates the role of child care in childbearing decisions in western Germany. Finds that access to informal care arrangements increases the probability of entering parenthood, but does not find any statistically significant effect of the public day care provision on fertility. (Contains 65 references, 5 tables, and 1 appendix.) (GCP)

Families are becoming smaller and less traditional as fertility rates fall and more people live alone; Scandinavian countries are the pacesetters in developing nontraditional forms of family living, but the United States has the highest incidence of divorce and of single-parent households. (Author)

This article describes the Preconceptional Intervention Program, a model used among women in 12 Florida counties who are at high risk for low birth-weight delivery. Preconceptional intervention identifies high risk women, provides educational programs, and provides adequate preconceptional and prenatal medical care. (IAH)

Used data from 1940 through 1980 Public Use Samples of the United States Census to examine how changes in fertility patterns of women have affected age distribution of parents for successive cohorts of children. Found decline in average age of mothers and fathers across cohorts of children, partly reflecting a rapid increase in teenage pregnancies…

Uses data from 20 case studies of Black adult female children of alcoholic parents to discuss Family Hero role often assumed by oldest or only female child in Black alcoholism families. Explains how female-dominated survival role of Family Hero in Black families is significantly more related to racial and cultural factors than numbers alone may…

Presents a brief summary of the transformation of a single fertilized ovum into a multi-celled human. Discusses the similarities and differences of identical and non-identical twins. Cites twin pairs that do not neatly fit the monozygotic or dizygotic schemes of human development. (RT)

Examined the relation of infant attention and memory to later cognition in 45 full-term and 46 high-risk preterm infants. Findings indicated a substantial relation between infant visual recognition memory and later intelligence. (RJC)

This article looks into the reasons behind Kenya's rapidly declining fertility rates over the last decade. Examines such factors as economic conditions, Westernization, contraceptive use, and formal education programs. (LZ)

This study found that mothers (n=40) of extremely high-risk infants (averaging 1000 grams birthweight and 28 weeks gestational age) called upon the same experiences and sources of information as mothers of full-term infants. Infants of mothers with above average knowledge about infancy scored significantly higher on tests of infant development at…

Finds that constrained autonomy is influenced by increases in interdependence, unfulfilled prebirth expectations, and perceptual shifts regarding past autonomy. Examines various interactional patterns manifested by spouses to mediate autonomy for self and other during the transition to parenthood. (SR)

Examined association between mother's marital status and perinatal outcome among single births in Finland in 1987 (n=56,595 infants). Found that perinatal deaths, low birthweight, and preterm infants were more common among single mothers than among married mothers. Results for cohabiting mothers were more similar to those of married than to those…

Examined mothers' perceptions of low birthweight infants, neonatal hospital environment, and general parenting attitudes during the perinatal period. Maternal age and socioeconomic status were associated with maternal perceptions of hospital environment. Variables including maternal health, smoking, and length of infant hospitalization contributed…

Establishing a child's legal paternity is the first step to gaining specific rights and benefits which can be critical to a child's well-being, such as emotional and financial security. Discusses specific procedures that Washington, Virginia, and other states have enacted to more easily establish paternity. (MDM)