Bayley Mental Development Index Research Articles

Solemnity: A clinical risk index for iron deficient infants

Four groups of infants with iron deficiency but without anemia (hemoglobin ≥ 11.0g/dL) were studied in an attempt to discover behavioral signs that can be used to index high risk probability for iron deficiency. The 38 9‐to‐12 month infants were classified as iron replete, iron depleted, or iron deficient, based on biochemical analysis. Intramuscular iron was given immediately to all infants after administration of the Bayley Infant Development Scales. A significant retest increase on the Bayley Mental Development Index (M Dl) of 21.6 points was found for iron deficiency infants compared to non significant 6.2 and 5.6 point changes for the iron replete and iron depleted infants. For 10/18 iron deficient infants who were rated high on solemnity during pretest but low on posttest, mean MDI increase was 30.3 points, compared to a 10.3 point increase for the 3/20 normal and iron depleted infants whose solemnity scores changed. Solemnity in well‐attached infants is suggested for use as a clinical sign to indic...

Effect of Iron Therapy on Behavior Performance in Nonanemic, Iron-Deficient Infants

In an effort to determine whether iron deficiency, in the absence of anemia (hemoglobin greater than 11.0 g/dL), might produce alterations in behavioral development, four groups of nonanemic infants, 9 to 12 months of age, with varying degrees of iron deficiency were studied. Infants were classified as iron sufficient, iron depleted, or iron deficient based on measurements of serum ferritin concentration, erythrocyte protoporphyrin values, and the mean cell volume of erythrocytes. Subjects in each group were tested with the Bayley Mental Development Index, treated with parenteral iron, and retested seven days later. The administration of iron produced a significant increase in the Mental Development Index scores (+21.6 points) in the infants with iron deficiency but no significant change in the scores of infants with iron sufficiency (+6.2 points) or only iron depletion (+5.6 points). It is concluded that iron deficiency, even in the absence of anemia, results in biochemical alterations that impair behavior in infants.

The Colorado Adoption Project

This report provides an overview of the Colorado Adoption Project (CAP), a longitudinal, prospective, multivariate adoption study of behavioral development. Examples of the types of analyses that can be conducted using this design are presented. The examples are based on general cognitive-ability data for adoptive, biological, and control parents; assessments of their home environment; and Bayley Mental Development Index scores for 152 adopted children and 120 matched control children tested at both 1 and 2 years of age. The illustrative analyses include matched control children tested at both 1 and 2 years of age. The illustrative analyses include examination of genetic and environmental sources of variance, identification of environmental influence devoid of genetic bias, assessment of genotype-environment interaction and correlation, and analyses of the etiology of change and continuity in development.

Is Imprinting an Appropriate Model for Human Infant Attachment?

We generalized the results of animal imprinting studies to see if they predict the development of attachment in 28 polymatrically-reared, Kenyan Gusii infants, whose ages were 6 to 30 months. The hypotheses tested were: (1) there is a sensitive phase for attachment; (2) there is an association between age of infant attachment and developmental level, as well as between age of attachment and caregiving history. Our results provide evidence against a sensitive phase for attachment: infants throughout the age range of the sample showed shifts in attachments, and no particular epoch in the infant's caregiving history was found to be most important in predicting their first attachment figure. There was an association between age of attachment, and both developmental level, and caregiving history. Early attached infants had higher scores on the Bayley Mental Development Index and less maternal body contact than their age matched peers. We may conclude, therefore, that, so far as is at present known, the way in which attachment behavior develops in the human infant and becomes focused on a discriminated figure is sufficiently like the way in which it develops in other mammals, and in birds, for it to be included, legitimately, under the heading of imprinting so long as that term is used in its current generic sense. (Bowlby 1969: 223.)

Nonorganic Feeding Disorders in Hospitalized Infants

Nine hospitalized infants with feeding disorders and nine hospitalized infants without feeding disorders were assessed on admission and discharge utilizing the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, descriptive checklists for mother and nurse, and a Feeding Observation of the mother and infant together On the Bayley Mental Development Index, infants with feeding disorders improved while comparison infants declined Infants with feeding disorders also improved on the Feeding Observation Mothers' descriptions of their children did not distinguish between groups or change over time, however, nurses' descriptions of infants with feeding disorders and their mothers (initially similar in both groups) were significantly more negative at discharge.

Developmental outcome of very low birth weight infants requiring a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt.

All infants of less than 1,500 g birth weight who required a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt were followed for developmental problems over the 1st year of life. There were 19 infants; 2 died within the 1st postoperative week. At 1 year of age corrected for prematurity the mean Bayley Mental Developmental Index was 62 +/- 23.0, and the mean Psychomotor Developmental Index was 61 +/- 19. Only 2 infants attained scores greater than 85 on both scales, while an additional 2 infants attained a score of greater than 85 on one scale. It is concluded that ventriculo-peritoneal shunting procedures performed after progressive ventricular enlargement has taken place are not likely to result in normal development of the infant less than 1,500 g birth weight.

Variety of cognitively oriented caregiver activities: relationships to cognitive and motivational functioning at one and 31/2 years of age.

This study investigated relationships between the variety of infants' social experience and their cognitive competence and motivation to master the environment. A measure of the variety of cognitively-oriented social activities with regular caregivers was significantly related to the Bayley Mental Development Index at 13 months and to three of the four McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities at 31/2 years. The relationships were especially strong with language development at both 1 and 31/2 years. Some relationships between the variety of cognitively-oriented caregiver activities and mastery motivation were found at 1, but not at 31/2 years of age. Infant experience was not related to 13-month motor development.

Infant Tests as Predictors of Cognitive and Language Development at Two Years

SIEGEL, LINDA S. Infant Tests as Predictors of Cognitive and Language Development at Two Years. CmILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 545-557. The ability of infant tests to predict subsequent language and cognitive abilities and to detect infants at risk for developmental problems was assessed for 148 infants, 80 preterm (birth weight less than 1,501 grams) and 68 full-term infants. The Bayley and Uzgiris-Hunt scales-administered at 4, 8, 12, and 18 months-were significantly correlated with cognitive and language development at 2 years. Object relations items, the understanding of means-end relationships, and the Bayley PDI (Psychomotor Development Index) were predictive of language development. The infant tests, particularly the Bayley MDI (Mental Development Index) scores, were capable of detecting many of the infants at risk for developmental delay. Infants who were classified as being at risk in infancy but who were developing normally at 2 years came from families with significantly higher scores on the HOME (Caldwell Inventory of Home Stimulation) scale. Infants not detected as being at risk in infancy but who showed delayed development at 2 years came from families with lower HOME scores. Thus, more adequate environments may provide the infant with sufficient stimulation to attenuate developmental delay. Infant tests, in conjunction with assessments of the child's environment, appear to be useful in predicting developmental functioning and delay at 2 years.

Correlations between Sociability and Cognitive Performance among Eight-Month-Olds

LAMB, MICHAEL E.; GARN, STANLEY M.; and KEATING, MARY T. Correlations between Sociability and Cognitive Performance among Eight-Month-Olds. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 711713. Ratings of social behavior and scores on the Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) were obtained for 33,685 8-month-olds. A composite measure of sociability correlated .23 with total MDI scores, .26 on the socially loaded items, and .17 with the nonsocial items. This suggests that performance variables account for some small portion of the relationship between sociability and cognitive test performance. The residual effect must be accounted for by an effect of sociability on cognitive competence. Social responsiveness to the examiner was the strongest predictor of MDI scores, but social responsiveness to mother also accounted for an independent portion of the variance. The relationship between sociability and cognitive test performance was unaffected by social class, race, or sex.

Maternal risk factors as predictors of developmental outcome in early childhood

This paper describes the rationale, procedures, and initial validation of an instrument which assesses distal environmental factors thought to negatively influence maternal caregiving ability. A sample of 36 lower class, single, black mothers (ranging in age from 14 to 19 years) of first born, full-term infants were included in an educational intervention program carried out during infants' first 12 months of life. The development of the maternal risk score (MRS) instrument was centered around four areas: maturity of mother, degree of planning of the mother, family support system and level of poverty. Initial, Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 MRS scores were compared with infant development at one and two years as measured by the Bayley Scales, and at three years with the McCarthy Scales, using Pearson product-moment correlations. The initial MRS correlated negatively with the Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) at Year 1 and also at Year 2 (N=−.38 and −.40 respectively, both significant at p<.05). The MRS for Year 1 showed significant negative correlations with the two Bayley MDIs: two and three year MRS scores were significantly related to three year McCarthy test scores. This screening instrument, which assesses qualitative aspects of the caretaking environment, appears to be a promising approach for identifying lower class mothers of infants who might be at risk for developmental disabilities.

Maternal Behavior and Sharing by Toddlers

In a study of 33 lower income black infants, carried out when they were 19-mo.-old toddlers, social sharing to mother was related to a measure of maternal praise and encouragement. Because these measures were obtained in separate sessions with different observers the possibility of halo effects was minimized. Also neither measure related significantly to the Bayley Mental Development Index. The results extend previous work on sharing done with middle-class toddlers and point up the importance of individual differences in their behavior.

Mother-infant interaction and cognitive development in twelve-week-old infants

In two studies, the interactions between approximately 280 mothers and their 12-week-old infants were observed in the home setting. Time-sampling observational techniques were utilized to obtain frequencies of specific infant and maternal behaviors and the contingent relationships between these specific behaviors. The infants' sensorimotor and psychomotor development was also assessed using the Bayley Mental Development Index. Results in both studies indicate that stimulation measures of the interactions were not related or were negatively related to the Bayley score while measures of the interaction which were sensitive to the contingent relationships between maternal and infant behavior were positively related to the Bayley.

Infant development in father-absent families.

In a sample of 55 black infants (age 5-6 months) living in the inner city in lower socioeconomic circumstances, 27 infants were being reared by their mothers in single-parent families. Male infants who had experienced minimal interaction with their fathers were significantly lower on the Bayley Mental Developmental Index and in measures of social responsiveness, secondary circular reactions, and preferences for novel stimuli. Female infants in this sample appeared unaffected by the father's presence or absence. After weighing alternative interpretations of the findings, we conclude that the father is a significant component in the early environment and that both observational studies and conceptual development of the role of the father in infancy are needed.

Effects of Infant Sociability and the Caretakiing Environment on Infant Cognitive Performance

40 middle-class mothers and their 12-month-old infants participated in an examination of the extent to which infant sociability and infant home experiences were correlated with cognitive capacity. Results indicated that the measures of the home environment (including Caldwell's Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment [HOME] inventory) were not correlated with the measures of cognitive competence (Bayley Mental Development Index [MDI], Ordinal Scales of Psychological Development) except among firstborns. Measures of the home environment were, however, correlated with measures of infant sociability (assessed inside and outside the test situation): sociable infants had sociable mothers. The infants' reactions to strange adults clearly influenced their performance in testing situations. Strong relationships were found between both measures of sociability and both measures of cognitive competence. The sociable friendly infants received higher scores on both cognitive tests than the less sociable babies did.

Fetal Malnutrition: An Experimental Study of Its Consequences on Infant Development in Two Caregiving Environments

Infants from low socioeconomic status families were randomly assigned to an instructional day-care program designed to prevent socioculturally caused mental retardation or to a nonintervention control group. This assignment procedure resulted in an equal distribution of full-term, full-birth-weight, fetally malnourished babies in 2 environments varying in intellectually supportive characteristics. The condition of fetal malnourishment was defined by infants having low ponderal indices (PI). At 3 months of age low-PI infants showed lower Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) scores than normal-PI infants, independent of the environment. In the control group low-PI infants still had lower MDI scores than normal-PI infants at 18 months of age. However, at that time in the day-care group, low-PI infants scored as well as normal-PI infants. These findings were replicated when the infants were 24 months of age with Stanford-Binet intelligence tests. Observations of mothers' involvement with their infants showed that, although all groups had similar amounts of maternal involvement when the babies were 6 months of age, the mothers of low-PI infants in the control group showed less involvement with their infants at 18 months of age than the other mothers. We suggest that this longitudinal study provides experimental evidence for a transactional model of development which emphasizes both newborn infant characteristics and environmental quality as cocontributors to the process of development.

1161 A CONTROLLED STUDY: THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS BORN TO HEROIN-DEPENDENT AND METHADONE-MAINTAINED WOMEN

As part of a longitudinal study, the development of 25 infants born to untreated heroin-addicted women and 23 infants born to methadone-maintained women was studied from birth through 1 year of age. 31 infants of women matched for time of onset of prenatal care, race, age, and marital and socioeconomic status served as controls. Heroin infants were more hypertonic (p<.005) than methadone infants or controls, while methadone infants had poorer fine (p<.05) and gross motor coordination (p<.01) than other groups. Gesell adaptive scores were lower for heroin and methadone infants at 3, 6, and 12 months (p<.05), and Gesell language and personal-social scores were lower for drug infants (p<.05) through 6 months. The mean Bayley Mental Development Index at 9 months was 96.91 (SD± 18.69) for heroin infants, 97.25 (SD± 15.74) for methadone infants, and 107.03 (SD± 14.16) for controls (p<.05). The mean Bayley Psychomotor Development Index at 9 months was 91.87 (SD± 20.39) for heroin infants, 85.85 (SD± 12.83) for methadone infants, and 97.93 (SD± 10.9) for controls (p<.05). 1 heroin infant is hydrocephalic and severely impaired, and another has the features of the fetal alcohol syndrome. Both heroin and methadone mothers used multiple other drugs throughout pregnancy. 45% of drug infants were in foster or adoptive care by 1 year; 93% had left the newborn nursery with their biologic mothers.

The Relation of Infants' Home Environments to Mental Test Performance at Fifty-four Months: A Follow-up Study

BRADLEY, ROBERT H., and CALDWELL, BETTYE M. The Relation of Infants' Home Environments to Mental Test Performance at Fifty-four Months: A Follow-up Study. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1976, 47, 1172-1174. In an earlier study Elardo, Bradley, and Caldwell used the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) to examine relations between the quality of stimulation available in infants' home environments and the infants' mental test scores. HOME scores taken during the first 2 years of life showed a moderate relation to performance on the Bayley Mental Development Index and a strong relationship to 3-year Stanford-Binet IQ. Results from the present follow-up study indicate that home environment scores during the first 2 years of life were strongly related to 54-month IQ scores. Of the 6 aspects of home environment measured by HOME, Emotional and Verbal Responsivity of Mother, Maternal Involvement with Child, and Provision of Appropriate Play Materials revealed the most substantial association with mental test performance at 54 months. Results show that the pattern of relationships between HOME scores and mental test performance changes somewhat across the early childhood years.

Some aspects of friction in metal-strip drawing : S. Fukui, T. Ohi, H. Kudo, I. Takita and J. Seino, Intern. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 4 (1962) 297–312

We studied neurodevelopment in infants from two communities. Children living in the vicinity of tin-ore kilns and smelters – TOKS; n = 51) were compared to children from a fishing village (Itapuã; n = 45). Mean hair-Hg (HHg) concentrations were significantly higher in Itapuã children which received significantly (p = 0.0000001) less mean ethylmercury (88.6 μg) from Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCV) than the TOKS children (120 μg). Breast-milk Pb concentrations were significantly higher in the TOKS mothers (p = 0.000017; 10.04 vs. 3.9 μg L−1). Bayley mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) were statistically significant (respectively p < 0.0000001, p = 0.000007) lower for the TOKS children only at 24 months of age. Multivariate regression analysis showed that MDI was negatively affected by breast-milk Pb and by HHg. PDI was positively affected by breastfeeding and negatively affected by ethylmercury. Milestone achievements were negatively affected by breast-milk Pb (age of walking) and by HHg (age of talking).