Study explores why some female adolescents in La Paz, Bolivia, become pregnant while others in similar circumstances avoid early pregnancy. Results reveal that girls who had experienced a pregnancy were less likely to have reported affectionate and supportive parents, more likely to have reported fighting in their home, and exhibited lower levels…

Examines differences in how working class and middle class New Zealand parents handle sexuality issues with their adolescents, noting that the age of sexual activity is falling, and increasing numbers of students are sexually active. Middle class girls are asserting their right to sexual activity, while working class girls are separating their…

A sample of pregnant women (N=705) was given the monopolar version of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) in prenatal counseling for advanced maternal age to develop normative data and to determine the factor structure of the POMS for this group of women in the first trimester of pregnancy. (SLD)

Interviews with 127 women who had recently given birth ascertained three components of learning transaction types related to learning about weight gain and alcohol and tobacco use. Majority spent most of their time in other-initiated learning episodes one-to-one or with print/nonprint material. Learning transaction types were associated with…

This article highlights the conceptions linked to sexuality in various regions of the world, elucidating how these conceptions of sexuality mesh with education to form discernible patterns, and identifies who benefits from current conceptions of sexuality. (IAH)

Study of the health behaviors and birth outcomes among 201 foreign-born and 616 U.S.-born women who received prenatal care at Boston City Hospital reveals that foreign-born women had better pre-pregnancy nutritional status and prenatal health behaviors, and their infants had greater birth weight. Limitations of this study are discussed. (Author)

Early and continuous prenatal care is a key factor in lowering infant mortality. Intervention strategies and programs adopted by the Richmond City Health Department to decrease infant mortality rates are described. (IAH)

Describes the implementation and operation of the Cherokee Nation Children's Village program in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Examines the four main components of the program: (1) Head Start; (2) the Child Development Center; (3) STEPP (Serving Teenagers through Education and Pregnancy Prevention); and (4) Even Start. (MDM)

A generation after women regularly began combining motherhood with careers, female academics find that balancing the demands of the tenure system and the timing of motherhood is difficult. Some are delaying childbearing, some are asking for delay of tenure decisions, and others are job-sharing to accommodate family and career. (MSE)

Ina May Gaskin, a traditional midwife and founder of The Farm Midwifery Center in Summertown, Tennessee, discusses how she first became involved in midwifery, where she learned her skills, the status of midwifery, and her future plans. Ms. Gaskin has been instrumental in the revolution of birth practices worldwide. (LP)

Clinical experience and recent research challenge the current standards of exercise duration and intensity for pregnant women. By carefully assessing patients' self-monitoring techniques, physicians can work with active women to create safe exercise programs during pregnancy. Safety guidelines for developing home exercise programs are included.…

Results indicated that black females ingested more energy, protein, calcium, and iron than did white females. Significant percentages of both black and white females' intakes of energy, calcium, and iron fell below recommended allowances, suggesting that most of those surveyed possessed poor prepregnancy nutritional status. (RJM)

Prenatal diagnostic procedures that can determine the existence of genetic diseases or chromosome disorders such as Down's syndrome are described, and legal considerations are outlined. Arguments for and against aborting fetuses with Down's syndrome are presented, and the need for genetic counseling for prospective parents is emphasized.…

The weeks just prior to conception and the early weeks of pregnancy are extremely crucial. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, parents can give their babies a head start toward a healthy life. Both men and women play an important role in preconception planning and behavior. (SM)

Psychoanalytic interviews with 22 women in France with unwanted pregnancies found that most discovered their pregnancy after the first trimester (thus not benefiting from legal abortion), that 18 took advantage of French law permitting anonymous and cost-free delivery followed by adoption, but that 4 were surprised by childbirth and committed…