Sixty very low birth weight infants (birth weight 560-1450 g) were studied during the first 28 days of life. The infants were classified as group A (n = 19 infants who never required ventilator support), group B (n = 20 infants mechanically ventilated for minor respiratory problems), and group C (n = 21 infants ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome). Diagnostic blood sampling was measured, infants were checked for clinical symptoms and laboratory signs of anaemia 24 h before and after the transfusion of packed red cells. A total of 7998 punctures (average: 4.8 per infant per day) were performed, the mean blood loss due to diagnostic sampling was 50.3 ml/kg per 28 days (range 7-142) for all infants. A high correlation (rs = +0.91) was found between the blood volumes sampled and transfused. In group A, the mean blood loss was 24 ml/kg, and a total of 29 blood transfusions were administered. The most frequent symptoms of anaemia were poor weight gain and apnoeic spells. In group B, the mean blood loss was 60 ml/kg and a total of 97 blood transfusions were administered. In group C, the mean blood loss was 67 ml/kg and a total of 116 blood transfusions were administered. In both groups B and C, poor weight gain, pallor and distended abdomen were the most frequent symptoms of anaemia. Following the blood transfusion, haematocrit rose and blood pressure remained unchanged. The symptoms that responded most favourably to the blood transfusion were: poor weight gain, oxygen requirement, and distended abdomen. The results emphasize the need for miniaturizing laboratory techniques and monitoring blood sampling.

Two sets of quality measures of group care were used to assess their predictive power for two sets of measures of the development of infant and toddlers in group day care. One of the quality measures we investigated was the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS). We replicated the findings of Scarr, Eisenberg, & DealerDeckard (1994) which were that the total score of the ECERS represents a global index and that the 37 items making up the scale are redundant and could be shortened considerably without loss of the scale as a quality criterion of group care for young children. Neither Scarr, Eisenberg, and Dealer-Deckard (1994) nor our own Factor Analyses of the 37 items supported the a priori distinction of seven Subscales. However further findings indicate that regardless of the redundancy within ECERS, two Subscales, dealing mainly with adultchild, child-child and adult-adult interactions, predict the development of infants and toddlers, but only when the measures of development were based on participant observations of the children over a longer period oftime and in the broad context ofthe natural daycare environment. None of the Subscales, nor the total ECERS predicted social development when it was based on precise time sampling observations, assessed by non participant observers, in interactions between a child and a specific caregiver. Such measures ofdevelopment were well predicted in our study by caregiver behaviors assessed through Time Sampling Observations.

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Un modèle de perfectionnement en pédagogie du petit enfant a été réalisé dans des crèches et son efficacité sur le comportement des « taties » (jardinières d'enfants) et sur le développement des enfants a été évaluée. Conformément au plan de recherche, 33 taties ont été chaque fois réparties au hasard en des groupes d'intervention et de contrôle. L'efficacité du modèle a été évaluée par comparaison avant et après intervention. Bien que les transformations recherchées du comportement aient été significativement plus élevées dans la plupart des cas chez les taties du groupe d'intervention que chez celles du groupe de contrôle, l'effet du modèle était beaucoup plus important dans certains domaines du comportement que dans d'autres. L'effet de l'intervention sur le développement des enfants contrastait avec le précédent: il était plus régulier en ce que, pour chacun des sept domaines du développement, les enfants du groupe d'intervention avaient accompli de façon significative plus de progrès que les enfants du groupe de contrôle.