Counters the popular misconception that poverty is linked to adolescent values that result in pregnancy and irresponsibility. Suggests the following research agenda: (1) reinterpretation of census data; (2) a focus on individual decision-making and systemic forces; (3) dissemination of data; and (4) investigation of father's role. (FMW)

This article summarizes methods and findings from a community diagnosis designed to identify cognitive, affective, and cultural variables that seem to be associated with teen pregnancy. On the basis of information collected, critical elements for an intervention strategy are proposed. (IAH)

Reviews what is known about AIDS in children. Addresses the following areas of concern: (1) the delivery of clinical services to infected and ill children and their families; (2) the development of effective AIDS education and prevention programs; and (3) research needs. Offers recommendations for action. (Author/BJV)

Discusses Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), accepted as leading known cause of mental retardation. Relates chronicity, timing, and severity of alcohol exposure to age-specific developmental and behavioral consequences. Delineates specific interventions with infants, preschoolers, school-age children, and adolescents. Advocates for accurate diagnosis…

Pregnant women completed the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and protective service records were reviewed three years later. Of 459 women, 29 had maltreated their children. Neglectful mothers had lower scores on self-esteem, moral self-worth, and personal and social adequacy than nonreported mothers. Both neglectful and physically abusive mothers…

Grandparental coresidence is associated with a delay of first birth beyond the teenage years among young women from two-parent and stepparent families as well as among those who live with neither birth parent. Grandparental coresidence has no association with early childbearing, positive or negative, among young women from single-parent families.…

Argues that unwed mothers should receive their primary assistance from their own families when possible and from private group homes subsidized with public funds when family assistance is unavailable. The current system of cash entitlements for unwed mothers has been a colossal failure. (SLD)

Examines effects of participation in cooperative farm development programs on fertility behavior in Nepal. Data were collected by ethnographic and survey methods. Results confirm co-op membership increases contraceptive use. Concludes co-op membership creates social pressure to limit fertility. Suggests policy implications. (TES)

Compared self-esteem and perceived maternal care and control of 134 Jamaican schoolgirls and 108 pregnant adolescents and teenage mothers. Subjects were 14 through 17 years old, from working-class backgrounds, and living in rural and urban areas. Findings suggest that father-figure absence and low self-esteem may combine as risk factors for…

Broad-based community education strategies implemented in a rural South Carolina county to prevent unintended teen pregnancy showed reductions in pregnancy among teens from 1984-87. The reduced numbers realized a 20-year projected savings of $611,688 in public sector costs. Tables display data for this and comparison counties. (SM)

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered to 96 expecting mothers. In a one-year followup, mothers were seen with their child in the Strange Situation procedure. Maternal representations of attachment from the AAI predicted infant-mother attachment patterns in the Strange Situation. (BC)

A qualitative study of 10 mothers who received a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome and chose to continue their pregnancy examined how the diagnosis was presented, the decision to continue the pregnancy, and the mothers' experiences with professionals from diagnosis to delivery. Mothers' suggestions to others facing the same challenges and to…

Examines progress in the research on adolescent sexual behavior and pregnancy over the past 20 years, discussing advances in research methodology in five areas, advances in understanding teen pregnancy and finding solutions to problems in five areas, and two new research-based pillars for pregnancy prevention (sex- and HIV-education programs and…

Pregnant and parenting teens aged 14-19 (n=126) had higher self-concepts than normative groups of high school students. Their self-concepts were more similar to junior high than senior high samples and they varied according to age, years of schooling, type of school, income sources, and receipt of public assistance. (SK)

Interviews with 42 mothers with visual impairments found no significant relationship between the degree of impairment and amount of advance preparation for child care tasks, trial-and-error learning, or initial reactions to the pregnancy. Key concerns were children's safety, the extra time needed to accommodate the impairment, transportation, and…