Objective: Data on the current costs of medical services for children with autism spectrum disorders are lacking. Our purpose for this study was to compare health care utilization and costs of children with and without autism spectrum disorders in the same health plan. Patients and Methods: Participants included all 2- to 18-year-old children with…

Purpose: The paper examines African immigrant parents' views on dental decay and whether such views affect their decision to obtain dental insurance for their children. The paper also examines the cultural underpinnings of the immigrants' oral health care practices. Design/methodology/approach: The data for the study were collected in the states…

While the AIDS epidemic has wrought radical changes in the consciousness of culture and society over the past decade, it has been relatively slow to make a significant impact on children's literature. Many children's books on the subject have already been published--a recent survey/search yielded about 15 titles. However, many of these books do…

This monograph presents an overview of adolescent health in the United States. Section 1 provides a brief introduction to the monograph. Section 2 presents one view of what constitutes adolescence and the threat to adolescent health, conceptualizing the latter to include health-compromising behaviors that put adolescents at risk for future…

Medicaid continues to be viewed as a primary funding mechanism for providing health coverage for children in poor and low-income families. In order to make informed decisions about health coverage for children, states need data on uninsured children and the potential role Medicaid can play in reducing the number of children who are without…

In recent years, falling immunization rates in the United States have resulted in an increased number of cases of preventable diseases. For example, the United States ranks behind 16 other nations in proportion of infants immunized against polio. Reasons for the decline of immunizations include skyrocketing vaccine costs, rising poverty rates,…

This bibliography, containing over 1,000 entries from the period 1968 to June, 1991, was compiled to assist in the development of a report to Congress on the impact (both maternal and fetal) of substance abuse on pregnancy. Topics include pregnancy outcome, child health issues, legal and political issues, epidemiological aspects of substance abuse…

This book, sponsored by a group called Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, shows parents and others why they should care about the way food is grown in America, how the food production system needs to be changed, and ways to make it better for their families and communities. Chapter 1 details why the current food production system needs to…

Most infants consume only breast milk or infant formula for the first 4 months, as their digestive systems and jaw and throat muscles are not ready for solid foods. Most healthcare professionals advise starting solid foods between 4 and 6 months of age, when infants can hold their heads up straight when sitting. The first solid food should be…

This book contains the statements made by heads of state or government, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the executive director of UNICEF during proceedings at the World Summit for Children in New York in September, 1990. Among the 159 delegations participating, 71 were led by heads of state or government. Deliberations focused on…

For this study, information was obtained about accidential injuries among children in day care centers (DCC) and family day care homes (DCH) in North Carolina. An Accident Survey Questionnaire was used to report injuries that required treatment by a staff member, doctor, or nurse. Results of data analyses showed that: (1) falls were the leading…

This study hypothesized that relatively specific aspects of family life are associated with relatively specific aspects of health and well-being, and that the pattern of these associations varies as a function of certain primary characteristics of family members, such as gender, role, and generation. To test these hypotheses, data were collected…

This report describes states' use of federal maternal and child health services (MCH) block grant funds to support their children's medical services (CMS) programs. Program officials and appropriate documents in 10 states were reviewed. Although all states allocated MCH funds to CMS programs, they did not typically designate the funds for…

A large and complicated body of law deals primarily with required parental involvement in health care decisions concerning adolescent children. Addressing that body of legislation, Part 1 of this two-part background paper focuses on a survey of laws requiring parental consent to health services for minors or parental notification of a minor's…

This report describes the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program which operates in Appalachia and rural Western Tennessee. The program, which constitutes a partnership between community organizations and the Vanderbilt University Center for Health Services, trains local women to use home visitations to educate and support other…