This book addresses the critical issues, as well as contemporary approaches, used to deal with the developmental, social, intellectual, and coping problems of low-birthweight infants and their families. Following an introduction by I. E. Sigel, the chapters are: (1) "Past, Present, and Future Directions in Research on the Development of Low-Birthweight Children" (Friedman and Sigman); (2) "The Epidemiology of Low Birthweight" (Kleinman); (3) "Advances in Neonatal Intensive Care Technology and Their Possible Impact on the Development of Low-Birthweight Infants" (McCormick); (4) "The Concept of Risk: A Reevaluation" (Horowitz); (5) "Very-Low-Birthweight Newborns and Parents as Early Social Partners" (Eckerman and Oehler); (6) "The Development and Social Competence of a Preterm Sample at Age 4: Predictors and Transactional Outcomes" (Greenberg and others); (7) "The Social and Emotional Development of Low-Birthweight Infants and Their Families Up to Age 4" (Minde); (8) "Emotional and Behavioral Development of Low-Birthweight Infants" (Buka and others); (9) "School Age Follow-Up of the Development of Preterm Infants: Infants and Family Predictors" (Magyary and others); (10) "Behavior Problems and Social Competence During Early Adolescence in Children Born Preterm" (Cohen and others); (11) "Prematurity as well as Intraventricular Hemorrhage Influence Developmental Outcome at 5 Years" (Sostek); (12) "Predicting Future Cognitive, Academic, and Behavioral Outcomes for Very-Low-Birthweight Infants" (Barsky and Siegel); (13) "The Prediction of Cognitive Abilities at Age 8 and 12 Years of Age from Neonatal Assessments of Preterm Infants" (Sigman and others); (14) "Further Investigations of Intellectual Status at Age 8 Years: I--Long-term Consequences into Adulthood. II--Neonatal Predictors" (Hunt and others); (15) "Individualized, Family-Focused Developmental Care for the Very-Low-Birthweight Preterm Infant in the NICU" (Als); (16) "Evaluating Effects of Intervention with Parents of Preterm Infants" (Beckwith and Rodning); (17) "Efficacy of Comprehensive Early Intervention for Low-Birthweight Premature Infants and Their Families: The Infant Health and Development Program" (Gross and others); and (18) "An Interactionist Perspective on Interventions with Low-Birthweight Infants" (Rauh and Brennan). Each chapter includes references. The book is indexed by author and subject. (TJQ)