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Scott, D. T., Spiker, D., Kraemer, H. C., Bauer, C., Bryant, D., Constantine,N. A., & Tyson, J. E. (1997). Possible confounding factors concerning the primary child outcomes. In R. T. Gross, D. Spiker, & C. Haynes (Eds.), Helping Low Birth Weight, Premature Babies: The Infant Health and Development Program. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. This chapter discusses some of the confounding issues that might complicate interpretation of the Infant Health and Development Program results. In randomized controlled trials involving human subjects, it is not uncommon for there to be some factors that cannot be controlled by the investigators. These factors tend to complicate the interpretation of the findings, although it is often possible to collect data to use in examining thes role that such uncontrolled factors might have played. We consider one such issue in each of the three primary outcome domains. In the domain of cognitive development, we consider the measurement problems posed by bilingualism. In the behavioral competence and health status domains, we consider the problems posed by obtaining information about the child from the mother. |