The Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP): An 18-Year Follow-up

Begun in 1985, this study has followed nearly 1,000 low birth-weight, preterm infants through adolescence. Its aim is to evaluate the impact of educational and family support services and high-quality pediatric care in the first three years of life on reducing the incidence of developmental delays. In collaboration with researchers in public health at Harvard University, the Center has continued to study the effects of this program on the cognitive development, behavior competence and health status of these children, who are now teenagers. The Infant Health and Development Program follow-up will provide the best evidence to date of the long-term efficacy of early childhood education programs for at-risk children.

Funding Sources: Pew Charitable Trusts; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health; Maternal and Child Health Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; March of Dimes Foundation

Contact: Anne Martin, DrPH

Other Current Early Childcare and Education Projects

Completed Early Care and Education Research Projects