Major Survey Findings of Listening to MothersSM III: New Mothers Speak Out: Report of National Surveys of Women’s Childbearing Experiences ? Conducted October–December 2012 and January–April 2013

To understand the experiences and views of childbearing women in the United States and trends over time, Childbirth Connection carried out the third national Listening to Mothers survey among 2,400 women who gave birth in U.S. hospitals to a single baby from mid-2011 to mid-2012 and could participate in English. A follow-up survey directed to the same participants explored postpartum experiences, in depth and well into the second year after birth; views about maternity care; and some additional pregnancy and birth items. Harris Interactive conducted the surveys using a validated methodology that includes data weighting to ensure that results closely reflect the target population. The follow-up survey was reported in Listening to Mothers III: New Mothers Speak Out.     

Fetal Substance Exposure and Cumulative Environmental Risk in an African American Cohort

Two models of vulnerability to socioenvironmental risk were examined in 337 African American children (M = 7.8 years) recruited to overrepresent prenatal alcohol or cocaine exposure: The cumulative risk model predicted synergistic effects from exposure to multiple risk factors, and the fetal patterning of disease model predicted that prenatal insult will increase vulnerability to environmental risk. Four or more risks emerged as a threshold for poorer cognitive and behavioral outcome among the non‐substance‐exposed children, whereas substance‐exposed children showed greater vulnerability to lower levels of environmental risk. Cumulative risk was associated with increased delinquent and internalizing behaviors only for the substance‐exposed group. Results support the cumulative risk model for non‐substance‐exposed children and increased vulnerability to environmental risk among the substance‐exposed group.     

The Contemporary Trend of Marketing Chinese Universities in Hong Kong—An Incoming Rival to British Counterparts

British universities have always been the market leader in recruiting Hong Kong students to study overseas or to take part in learning programmes. As the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1997 approaches, some changes in market demands and incoming competitors have complicated the external environment of the market for higher education in Hong Kong. A major impetus for the incoming rivalry of the PRC is the recognition of qualifications obtained in PRC by the Hong Kong Government and continuing economic growth which in turn creates a tremendous demand for professional and managerial personnel in PRC. With the current sophisticated marketing practices and quality services to potential customers, this article attempts to provide information that may help British universities to discover their competitive edge in capitalizing on the experience and strengths of their higher education tradition and system.