Noting that patterns of childrearing are highly variable across the human species, this book explores the developmental processes of infancy over a wide range of cultural and social environments. By presenting multiple alternative examples of the context of infant development, the book attempts to stimulate continued discussion on the ways in which biological, social, and cultural factors influence the course of human development. Divided in three parts, this volume offers a wide range of information about infancy over the world, about the vast variety of conditions under which children are conceived and raised, and about the characteristics of the infants themselves. Articles in the first part of the book address questions related to biosocial influences on newborn behavior such as attitudes toward teenage pregnancy; the effect of birth location on the size and morbidity of infants; and poverty in underdeveloped countries. Articles in the second part examine mother-infant interaction in the first year of life, exploring practices in south India, Portugal, and Great Britain. Articles in the third part present cross-cultural comparisons in infant behavior using Israeli, Chinese, Malay, Tamil, American, Laotian, and American Indian newborns. The final chapter summarizes the preceding articles and provides a critical commentary on some of them, emphasizing the importance of the neonatal period for understanding both babies and their mothers. (AA)