Richard M. Silberstein

AN EVALUATION OF VARIOUS PARAMETERS OF MATURITY AT BIRTH AS PREDICTORS OF DEVELOPMENT AT ONE YEAR OF LIFE

The comparative value of various parameters of neonatal maturity for predicting the development of the infant at 1 yr. was assessed for a sample of 233 low-birth-weight and full-sized infants. The 4 “traditional” infancy-status measures (birth weight, gestational age, birth length, and head circumference) predicted the 1-yr. outcome measures best, the infancy-status variables, in general, contributing independently to outcome even when demographic predictors were included in multiple regression analyses. The Cattell Developmental Quotient was the outcome measure most closely related to the neonatal maturity measures. Implications of these findings are discussed.

AUTOEROTIC HEAD BANGING: A REFLECTION ON THE OPPORTUNISM OF INFANTS

Children tend to use any available method of solving problems and reducing tension. Body stimulating techniques to substitute for adequate object relations include such syndromes as thumb sucking, enuresis, and rocking. Children tend to select these techniques opportunistically according to the age at which tension arises and the particular body reflex or sensation available at that phase of development. Head banging has been included among these selfstimulating techniques. To date it has been difficult to understand the erotic origin of this behavior, and accordingly it has been difficult to treat it successfully. Infant head banging, arising at about eight months, has been reported by a number of investigators. The etiology of this pattern of behavior has been formulated by David Levy (1944), who considers head banging to be the result of insufficient opportunity for physical expression brought about by the infants restraint of movement in crib or playpen. Spitz and Wolf (1949), Brody (1960), and others (Ribble, 1943; Provence and Lipton, 1962) consider

A Method to Evaluate Whether Patients Take Prescribed Medication

lysis, revealing the definite presence of a group A beta hemolytic streptococci. In those cultures negative for beta hemolytic streptococci, the physician can learn to visually detect the presence of normal flora, staphylococci and pneumococci as the predominant organisms without subculturing. The length of the incubation period necessary for positive identification of group A beta hemolytic streptococci varies directly with the number of these organisms present. When they are present in large numbers, a positive bacitracin disc reaction will be obtained after an incubation period of only eight to 16 hours. When only a few streptococci are present and other bacteria 1>redomi-

CHILD STATUS AND DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AS RELATED TO MATERNAL CHILD-REARING ATTITUDES

Data from 322 infants and their mothers indicated highly consistent relationships from birth to 12 mo. for both maternal control and hostility. Both maternal control and hostility at 12 mo. were associated with lower occupational status of father, lower IQ of mother, and fathers being older. Variables assessing the infants status at birth and at 12 mo. were generally unrelated to maternal child-rearing attitudes at 12 mo. The results fail to support positions emphasizing the determination of maternal attitudes as a response to characteristics of the child, at least during the babys first year.