Joseph Chilton Pearce, a writer who lectures internationally on child development, discusses the importance of the birth environment on infant development, the negative effects resulting from doctor-assisted births, his experiences in the births of his children, the importance of bonding, and the relationship between childbirth and childhood…

"Early Partners" and "Partners for Learning" is a 2-part curriculum to support parent-child interactions in the first 36 months of a premature, low birthweight child's life. Analysis showed that the rate of delivering the curriculum in the child development center and the home added significantly to the prediction of 36-month…

Analysis of four national cross-sectional fertility surveys, 1955-84, documents the decreasing likelihood that single women pregnant with their first child will marry to legitimate the birth. Among recent cohorts, decision to marry was influenced by woman's expectations about the timing of marriage and parenthood, living arrangements, academic…

Compared dyads of mothers and low-birthweight infants who participated in a comprehensive early intervention program during the infant's first three years with dyads who received pediatric follow-up. Intervention group mothers had higher ratings than follow-up mothers on quality of assistance. Intervention children had higher ratings on…

Presents results of a cross-national analysis assessing the generality of findings relating the spread of education to declining fertility. Reports only modest support for the spread of education effect. Explains that evidence was found to support the theory that demographic change is unlikely when mass education is limited to males. (DK)

This follow-up study of low birthweight children at the age of 4-5 found that 14 control children (who did not participate in early home intervention) scored lower than 31 preterm treatment children and 22 full-term controls on expressive language, comprehension, personal-social skills, visual-motor skills, and home environment. (Author/JDD)

Analyzes the effects of the following factors on low birth weight of 103,072 Black and White infants in Chicago: (1) median family income; (2) maternal age; (3) education; and (4) marital status. Concludes that family income shows racial disparity and that traditional risk factors do not completely explain racial differences in neonatal outcome.…

Analyzes the responses of 1,344 African-American and 580 white female adolescents, and 852 African-American and 520 white male adolescents to questions regarding their perceived ideal ages for marriage and first birth. Findings reveal differences between white and African-American adolescents' responses. Comparisons suggest that the adolescents'…

Proposes that schooling leads to social change by fostering individual changes that alter participation; suggests that girls acquire proficiency in language used by bureaucracies such as health care. Demonstrates with data from Nepal and Venezuela how women's literacy skills influence reproductive and health outcomes for themselves and their…

Reviews five books on how the politics of choice affects adoption, abortion, and welfare; Roe v. Wade; causes and consequences of nonmarital fertility; how misguided feminism harms young males; and the myth of frailty. Suggests that many of the issues raised will receive national notice if recent legislation requiring all states to test students…

The starting point for this article is the lack of a clear or emerging consensus of what is generally understood by the term "health education", or its role as a component of the school science curriculum which requires a particular research focus. One of the purposes of this article is to explore the concept of health education as one…

Recently, Dr. Brindis and her colleagues compared four communities with high poverty and lower than average birth rates among Latina adolescents, with four communities which also had high poverty but had higher than average birth rates among Latina adolescents. Their goal was to examine the social capital and cultural norms within these…

This data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of California's children. California is the only state where the majority of the children (56%) come from African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American families. The report begins with summary tables of general state facts, including: (1) California's children under 18; (2)…

This KIDS COUNT report examines statewide trends in the well-being of New York's children. The statistical portrait is based on six general indicators of children's well-being: (1) economic well-being; (2) education; (3) health; (4) adolescent behavior; (5) child welfare; and (6) children's families. Indicator 1 focuses on poverty, neighborhood…

This Kids Count data book examines statewide trends in the status of Pennsylvania's children. The statistical portrait is based on 18 indicators of child well-being: (1) low birth weight; (2) lack of early prenatal care; (3) births to single teens; (4) infant mortality; (5) child deaths; (6) child violent deaths; (7) substantiated child abuse; (8)…