A FREE one-day conference, “Fetal, Child and Maternal Health – New Research and Policies” will be held at the Dobbs Ferry Campus of Mercy College and sponsored by the Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions – Career Opportunities in Research (RIMI-COR) Training Program to Promote Minority Health funded through a grant from the NIH - National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.  The goal of the conference is to highlight factors that affect maternal health, pregnancy outcomes and child health as they relate to minority health and health disparities including recommendations for changes in policy and health behaviors.

Through presentations and panel discussions, the topics to be covered will include: the impact of poverty on the mental health and development of very young children; maternal transmission of HIV/AIDS; the effects of maternal stress on fetal and child development; the effects of adverse events on brain development; the effects of environmental toxins on child development - social justice implications; and postnatal mental health/emotional health needs of pregnant and parenting women.  The conference will be of interest to medical and behavioral health care professionals, mental health professionals, public health officials, social workers, faculty, students, community and health service agencies, and community leaders.