Resource Guide
Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods

Infant Assessment Unit

As part of the Longitudinal Cohort Study, 412 infants from the birth cohort and their primary caregivers were studied during wave 1 (1994-1997) to examine the effects of prenatal and postnatal conditions on the health and cognitive functioning of infants in the first year of life. The Infant Assessment Unit (IAU) also sought to link early developmental processes and the onset of antisocial behavior and to measure the strength of these relationships. The infants received an assessment between the ages of 5 to 7 months, in addition to the protocol given to all infants in cohort 0 as part of the Longitudinal Cohort Study. Measures assessed visual recognition and memory, physical health and birth complications, temperament, and family environment. Videotaped records were used to record the response of the infant to different types of stimulation, as well as to capture interactions between the parent and infant to determine empathic responsiveness of the parent, encouragement and guidance, and overall psychopathology.

The objective of the IAU was to observe how prenatal and postnatal conditions affect the health and cognitive functioning of infants during the first year of life. Consisting of several instruments, the IAU sought to measure infant cognition and quantify the experiences of the sampled infants from Cohort 0 during their first 12 months of life. Additionally, the IAU examined the circumstances surrounding the mother's pregnancy and the subsequent care received by the infant. The IAU was administered to subjects or primary caregivers in Cohort 0 only in Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Sampling

The participants in the IAU were drawn from the youngest project cohort included in the Longitudinal Cohort Study. The youngest cohort of study participants numbered 1,261 children who were sampled at some point between the time their mothers were pregnant with them and their first birthday. Approximately 412 infants and their primary caregivers from the 1,261 Cohort 0 participants received an assessment for the Infant Assessment Unit when the infants were between 5-7 months of age.

Instruments and Measures

  • The IAU data included an Assessment Debriefing File (ADF) which contained summary information for all of the instruments that formed the IAU protocol. The ADF data recorded in what language the IAU instruments were administered, whether or not a translator was required, the amount of privacy during the administration of the instruments, and who, if anyone, was present at the time the instruments were administered. It was completed by the research assistant at the end of each interview.
  • The Growth Assessment Form (GAF) was included in the IAU to record the evolution of the subject's physical growth and development by recording, among other things, height, weight, and body mass as a good proxy for overall health and nutrition. The primary caregiver was asked to undress the infant except for his/her diaper and to check that the diaper was dry. The infant was placed on a standard portable infant scale and their weight was recorded in grams. Recumbent length for infants was taken by the research assistant (RA) measuring the infant from the vertex to the bottom of the heel, with the infant lying on a stable, flat surface. Head circumference was measured with an inelastic Ross Inserta Tape, in centimeters. The RA read the instructions for the growth assessment to the parents prior to taking the measurements, and the segment was videotaped.
  • The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) instrument was included in the IAU to evaluate various aspects of the subject's developmental environment that could affect future positive or negative social behaviors. In addition, the PHDCN version of the HOME inventory carefully assessed various aspects of the physical environment where the subject lived, including the living conditions inside the home and the state of the surrounding neighborhood. It was administered to the subject's primary caregiver.
    • Citations:
      • Caldwell, B. & Bradley, R. (1984). Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) - Revised Edition. University of Arkansas, Little Rock.
      • Selner-O'Hagan, M & Earls, F. (1994). PHDCN version of the HOME Inventory. Unpublished manual.
  • The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Data was included in the IAU to collect information related to the primary caregiver's pregnancy. Information such as age of mother, number of visits to the doctor, whether or not there were complications, length of pregnancy, and baby's birth weight were all recorded in the IDPH file.
  • The Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) was included in the IAU for the primary caregiver an opportunity to assess the behavior of the infant over the previous two weeks with respect to six components of infant temperament, including fear, distress to limits, duration of orienting, soothability, activity, and laughter and smiling. For each item, PC's chose one of three responses that best describe the infant's behavior. It was administered to the subject's primary caregivers.
  • The Infant Behavior Ratings (IBR) measure was included in the IAU to evaluate infant temperament. The IBR rated the infant on a number of observed behaviors and also rated the validity of the other IAU measures. It was completed by the research assistant with one response stemming from comments from the subject's primary caregiver.
  • The Infant Day Care Screen questionnaire was included in the IAU to record data relating the details of the childcare arrangements for the subject. The primary caregiver (PC) was asked to describe the nature (family member, babysitter, day care) and frequency (number of days and hours) of the care received by the subject. The PC was also asked how long the child had been receiving the previously described care and if there were any additional childcare programs used by the subject. It was administered to the subject's primary caregiver.
  • The Kagan Mobile Task/Latency to Grasp was included in the IAU to summarize various behaviors, such as smiling and crying, as responses to novel visual stimuli. Measures of these behaviors, including latency to grasp, were used to describe the infant's overall temperamental disposition. It was administered to subjects.
    • Citations for Kagan Mobile Task:
      • Kagan, J., Reznick, J.S., & Snidman, N. (1987). The physiology and psychology of behavioral inhibition in children. Child Development, 58, 1459-1473.
      • Kagan, J., Reznick, J.S., & Snidman, N. (1988). Biological basis of childhood shyness. Science, 240, 167-171. (PDF)
    • Citations for Latency to Grasp:
      • Rothbart, M.K, Ahadi, S.A., & Hershey, K.L. (1994). Temperament and social development in childhood. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 40, 21-39.
  • The Maternal and Infant Health Survey (MIH) was included in the IAU and was adapted from the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. The MIH was primarily concerned with prenatal conditions surrounding the subject's birth. It also collected information on the infant's delivery and health for the first six months of life. It was administered to the subject's primary caregiver.
  • The Maternal Social Support Index (MSSI) instrument was included in the IAU to evaluate aspects of the primary caregiver's (PC's) social support. It sought to obtain information regarding the division of household tasks and responsibilities for child rearing. The MSSI also questioned the PC with respect to his or her ability to access transportation, interaction with other adults, and involvement in the community. The MSSI further asked the PC to describe his or her relationship with the subject's father, while additional questions regarding the involvement of the subject's father or father figure were added to the measure by the IAU research team. It was administered to the subject's primary caregiver.
    • Citation:
      • Pascoe, J.M., Ialonga, N., Horn, W., Reinhart, M. & Perradatto, D. (1988). The reliability and validity of the maternal social support index. Family Medicine, 20, 271-275.
  • The Visual Recognition Memory (VRM Paradigm) was included in the IAU to evaluate the subject's visual information processing, an aspect of infant cognition correlated with later childhood IQ and development of perceptual speed, language, and memory. The VRM Paradigm was administered at the respondent's home and consisted of the interviewer presenting the infant with visual stimulus cards and observing the subject's eye movements. Various trials were conducted, and the results were coded and recorded on a laptop computer in addition to being videotaped. Before the pictures were presented to the participants, the procedure was explained to the primary caregiver (PC). The PC was then asked to hold the baby 18 inches from a picture on a stage and not to offer any cues to the baby such as pointing, though they were asked to make sure the baby was as comfortable as possible. The research assistant (RA) then demonstrated how the picture would be held on the stage. The baby was presented with two identical pictures until he/she had looked at the picture for a certain amount of time (20 seconds for photos of faces; 10 seconds for geometric designs). The familiar picture was then paired with a novel picture for two trials; the left-right position of the picture was changed between trials. The RA observed the direction of the infant's eye movement, and recorded the direction (left or right) on the laptop computer program. The IAU data contain an additional VRM file that provides summary data for the various trials conducted for the VRM Paradigm.
    • Citation:
      • Rose, S.A., Feldman, J.F., & Wallace, I.F. (1988). Individual differences in infant information processing: Reliability, stability, and prediction. Child Development, 59, 1177-1197.
  • The Young Adult Self Report (YASR) was included in the IAU as a self-administered survey used to obtain information on specific aspects of the respondent's life. Included were such topics as interpersonal relationships and conflicts, tendencies toward various anti-social behaviors, and habits regarding non-medical drug and alcohol consumption. The YASR also sought to identify personality traits and behaviors that might be classified as unusual. The goal of the YASR was to obtain an overall score for each respondent, based on the answers provided, that could be used to make observations and determinations regarding his or her psychological, emotional, and behavioral health and overall quality of life. It was administered to the subject's primary caregiver.
    • Citation:
      • Achenbach, T. (1990; 1997) Young Adult Self Report. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.