Susan M. Widmayer

Developmental follow-up of infants delivered by Caesarean section and general anesthesia

Infants delivered by caesarean section and general anesthesia were compared with those delivered vaginally with local-regional or no anesthesia. At birth the caesarean group showed less optimal obstetric medications and complication scores, maternal attitudes to labor and delivery, and maternal and infant blood pressures, but the group did not differ on examiner or mother assessments of neonatal behaviors. At 4 months the vaginal group was more optimal on Denver adaptability, maternal state—trait anxiety, and maternal diastolic blood pressures, but the caesarean section mothers rated their infants more optimally on temperament, expressed more realistic expectations of developmental milestones, and received, along with their infants, more optimal face-to-face and feeding interaction ratings. At 8 months there were no differences on developmental assessments, but whereas blood pressures were higher in caesarean mothers and infants, these mothers again assessed their infants as having more optimal temperaments. These results are discussed in the context of an emergency caesarean altering the mothers perceptions of her infant.

Effects of brazelton demonstrations on early interactions of preterm infants and their teenage mothers

Brazelton demonstrations and MABI assessments were provided for lower class teenage mothers of preterm infants during the neonatal period. Another group received the Mothers Assessment of the Behavior of her Infant (MABI) scale alone. The effects of these interventions were evaluated at one month by Brazelton and mother—infant feeding and face-to-face interactions. Both the Brazelton demonstration/MABI group and the MABI group showed more optimal Brazelton interactive process scores, feeding and face-to-face interaction ratings at one month than did preterm and term infant control groups. However, a greater number of effects were observed for the Brazelton demonstration/MABI group.

Teenage parenting in different cultures, family constellations, and caregiving environments: Effects on infant development

Teenage parenting was investigated in different ethnic groups (Cuban and American Black), family constellations (single-parent, nuclear, and extended families), and primary caregiving arrangements (mother versus other). One hundred sixty-four infants born to a representative sample of teenage mothers were observed during interactions with their mothers and were given developmental assessments when they were 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Being a Cuban mother, living in a nuclear family, and being a secondary caregiver were each associated independently with stronger social support systems and more positive child-rearing attitudes and mother-infant play interactions. Despite these early advantages, maternal stimulation and infant performance decreased over the second year of life irrespective of ethnic group, family constellation, and caregiving arrangements.

Progress in Lasers and Laser Fusion

Opening Remarks.- Theoretical Interpretations of Enhanced Laser Light Absorption.- The Effects of Fluid Instabilities on Laser Fusion Pellets.- HF Chemical Lasers.- Experiments in Laser Fusion.- Outlook for Laser Fusion.- Three Quasi-CW Approaches to Short Wavelength Lasers.- Review of Soft X-Ray Lasers Using Charge Exchange.- Soft X-Ray Lasers Via Electron-Collisional Pumping.- X-Ray and ?-Ray Lasers.- Scattered Radiation and Neutron Production in Laser-Plasma Interaction.- The Theory of Powerful Laser Light Propagation in a Material Medium.- Participants.

Theories and experiments in high-energy physics

Recent Results for e+e? Annihilation at Spear.- Measurements of e+e? ? e+e?, e+e? ? ?+??and e+e? ? ?? at Center of Mass Energies Close to 3105 MeV.- Electron-Positron Annihilation and the Structure of Hadrons.- Electron-Positron Annihilation to Hadrons and Color Symmetries of Elementary Particle.- Electron-Positron Inclusive Hadron Reactions.- On the Consequences of Non-Linearity in a Unified Theory of Fundamental Interactions.- Particles, Forces and the New Mesons.- Theoretical Interpretation of Recent Neutral Current Results.- Unified Gauge Theories.- Monopole Strings and Charmonium.- Unified Approach to Multiparticle Production at High Energy.- Quantum Mechanical Approximations in Quantum Field Theory.- On the Problem of Causality in Conformal Invariant Theories.- Transport and Hydrodynamic Aspects of Multiparticle Production.- The Large Numbers Hypothesis and Its Consequences.- Are Quasars Local?.- Participants.

Developmental effects of an intervention for preterm infants of teenage mothers

Since preterm infants and infants born to teenage mothers are noted to be at risk for developmental delays, a group of infants who were both preterm and born to teenage mothers was provided a sensorimotor exercise intervention program for the first year of infancy. The development of these infants was compared to the development of preterm infants without intervention and term infants of teenage mothers as well as term and preterm infants of adult mothers to determine the degree to which developmental delays were prevented. The intervention infants showed more optimal growth, cognitive development, temperament and play behaviors during interactions with their mothers across the first year of development.