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Infants

Infancy—the period of life from birth to age 1—is associated with a unique set of public policy issues related to babies' health, development, and welfare. RAND's research on infants spans a wide range of topics for this brief but important period of life, including infant mortality, low birth weight, neonatal care, immunizations, breastfeeding and feeding practices, and cognitive development.

Commentary

Parental Leave Would Cause a Boom in Breastfeeding

Doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. This provides health benefits to both mother and child and saves health care costs. Paid maternity leave can boost breastfeeding rates, but few U.S. firms offer it.

Apr 17, 2017
Journal Article

Engaging Human Rights in the Response to the Evolving Zika Virus Epidemic

Public health responses to the Zika virus that incorporate a human rights perspective have the potential to be more equitable, effective, and sustainable interventions.

Mar 16, 2017
Research Brief

The Economic Returns from Investing in Early Childhood Programs in the Granite State

We assessed investments in early childhood programs in New Hampshire, summarizing benefits and economic returns of three early intervention strategies and estimating costs and benefits of statewide investments in programs for at-risk children.

Feb 15, 2017
Report

The Costs and Benefits of Investing in Early Childhood in New Hampshire

Stakeholders in the public and private sectors in New Hampshire have been focused on investments in young children. What do they need to know?

Feb 15, 2017
Report

A Psychometric Study of the Modified Bridges for Newborns Screening Tool

This report describes RAND Corporation work evaluating the psychometric characteristics of the Modified Bridges for Newborns, a screening tool to identify high-risk mothers in Los Angeles Count who are eligible for supportive services.

Feb 6, 2017
Journal Article

New Parent Home Visiting Program Reduces Infants' Need for Medical Care

Infants whose families took part in a new parent home visit program were less likely to visit the emergency room and made fewer primary care visits during their first year of life. The program benefited at-risk families and those who had no risk factors.

Jan 27, 2017
News Release

New Parent Home Visiting Program Reduces Infants' Need for Medical Care During First Year of Life

Infants whose families participated in a new parent home visit program were less likely to visit the emergency room and made fewer primary care doctor visits during their first year of life. The program benefited both families who were at risk for problems, and those who had no risk factors.

Dec 15, 2016
Journal Article

Lactation Support Services and Breastfeeding Initiation: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act

The likelihood that mothers with private health insurance would start breastfeeding increased by 2.5 percentage points after the Affordable Care Act mandated the coverage of lactation support services.

Nov 28, 2016
Report

Delaware Stars for Early Success: Final Report

Based on findings from an evaluation of Delaware's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for early care and education programs, RAND provided recommendations for state decisionmakers, including considering further refinements to the rating structure, strengthening quality improvement supports, and enhancing administrative data systems.

Nov 7, 2016
Commentary

How Can Europe Encourage Fathers to Take Parental Leave?

Whether fathers take parental leave depends on economic factors, but flexibility of timing and workplace culture also seem to make a difference. The link between fathers taking parental leave and improvements in child development makes it an important area for European policymakers to consider.

Oct 14, 2016
Journal Article

The Role of School Environments in Explaining Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Body Mass Index Among U.S. Adolescents

School characteristics in the fifth and eighth grades showed little additional influence on the racial and ethnic disparities in body mass index observed at school entry in a longitudinal study of elementary and middle school students.

Jun 24, 2016
Report

Professional Development for the Early Care and Education Workforce in Shelby County, Tennessee

This report examines how early care and education caregivers with licensed providers in Shelby County, Tennessee, gain through ongoing professional development the relevant knowledge for working with infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children.

Apr 13, 2016
Journal Article

Spending on Children's Personal Health Care in the United States, 1996–2013

Changes in pediatric health care spending across payor types over time, such as increased expenditures on inpatient well-newborn care and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, can help decision-makers plan for future pediatric health systems.Â

Mar 28, 2016
Commentary

Know Zika to Fight Zika

Scientists across universities, governments, and industry are doubling down to gain a better understanding of the Zika virus and develop the diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic tools needed to combat it. In the meantime, the public must be actively engaged.

Feb 12, 2016
Commentary

Fighting the Zika Virus: What Public Health Officials Need to Do

For now, public health officials and their partners must do all they can to control Zika virus, using the tools at hand. That may include instituting a public health campaign to reduce mosquito-breeding sites and promoting prudent protection against mosquito bites.

Jan 28, 2016
Report

The Urban Child Institute CANDLE Study

The Urban Child Institute developed the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) Study to identify what factors during pregnancy and early childhood affect a child's development and ability to learn.

Dec 21, 2015
Journal Article

Does a Ban on Informal Health Providers Save Lives? Evidence from Malawi

This study examines the effect of a ban on informal (traditional) birth attendants imposed by the Malawi government in 2007.

Nov 11, 2015
Journal Article

Immigrant Latino Neighborhoods and Mortality Among Infants Born to Mexican-origin Latina Women

Compares the association between neighborhood Latino immigrant concentration and infant mortality by maternal nativity among singleton births to Mexican-origin women in Los Angeles County.

Jul 7, 2015
Report

Evaluating Delaware Stars for Early Success: Year Two Report

In the second year of RAND's evaluation of Delaware's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), key findings offer insight into provider participation, the use of financial incentives, and the amount of technical assistance received by providers—all pointing to the importance of administrative data in a QRIS.

Jun 2, 2015
Journal Article

Outcomes and Costs of Surgical Treatments of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Despite previous studies demonstrating no difference in mortality or morbidity, the various surgical approaches for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in infants have not been evaluated economically.

Apr 24, 2015

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RAND Topic:
Infants

Topic Synonyms:
Babies;
Baby;
Infancy

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