This study examined the contribution of maternal education to variations in child outcomes from birth to 7 years of age. The sample for this study consisted of 266 children and their mothers, drawn from four rural communities in eastern Guatemala, who had participated in a longitudinal nutritional supplementation study. Data were presented which showed the influence of mother's education and socioeconomic status on the incidence of respiratory illness in offspring, and the influence of mother's education and socioeconomic status on children's performance on cognitive tests. Mothers with 4 or more years of education had children with lower incidence of respiratory illness at ages 1, 3, and 4. These children also performed significantly better on a preschool battery administered at ages 5 and 7 than mothers with fewer years of education. These results add to the growing evidence of the strong positive association between mother's education and child outcomes in developing countries. The data strongly support the argument for investment in basic primary education for females in lower income countries; the spread of female education has tremendous potential as a public health intervention. Based on the results, it was concluded that policy makers should focus on increasing access to schools, reducing attrition, and targeting the most needy populations. (Author/SD)