Schools are faced with the challenges presented by special needs children (SNC) because the law requires that they must provide educational opportunities to all children--those who have no handicapping conditions as well as those who do, no matter how severe those conditions. The need exists for adequately prepared health care professionals in the school setting. Using a convenience sample of school teachers and school nurses, this investigation focused on the perceptions of school teachers and nurses regarding the challenges and demands of having these children in the public school. Two surveys were conducted to study those perceptions. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses showed that the needs of both groups of providers--school nurses and school teachers--can be summed up in three categories: information dissemination, communication, and resource integration. Infrastructure development involves the establishment of an effective information management system, effective use of such a system in establishing communications between all participants, and adequate administrative support to facilitate the development of the school providers' sense of competence in the care of SNC. A well-planned and adequately supported program goes a long way toward changing people's attitudes toward the inclusion of SNC in the classroom.

Objective To examine the consistency and adequacy of nutritional intake in a population of Black women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Design This was a longitudinal descriptive study. Data were collected from women with low-risk pregnancies at 22–24 week prenatal visits and two subsequent visits. Setting Participants were recruited from urban prenatal clinics in one city in the Northeastern United States. Participants Pregnant women who self-identified as Black (N=195) Methods A 24-hour diet recall was obtained at each of the three study time points. Food models and measuring cups were used to improve the accuracy of portion size reporting. Data from diet recalls were manually entered in Food Processor software to compute nutritional content. Results Dietary intake was examined using a linear mixed effect model. Dietary patterns were stable from the second to the third trimester and caloric intake was inadequate. Women met minimal daily requirements for carbohydrate and protein intake, but the overall percentages of fat, protein, and carbohydrates indicated that additional calories needed to come from protein. Although more than 80% of women regularly took prenatal vitamins, micronutrient and fiber intake were consistently inadequate. Conclusion Prenatal care that helps women to identify foods that are high in fiber, protein, and micronutrients is important for the health of the women and newborns. Knowing that nutritional intake is consistently inadequate, whenever nurses are in contact with pregnant women counseling can occur in attempt to improve nutritional intake and make women aware of inexpensive nutrient sources.