[Forms of care, health evaluation at 10 months, and maternal behavior]

The purpose of this survey was the comparison of 4 forms of day care: day care center, baby minder, care at home by the mother herself or care at home by someone else. A sample of 1,010 children, born to French mothers in a public hospital in Paris, was examined at a check-up clinic organized by National Social Security for 10 months old children. Home care by the mother herself was more frequent for mothers with primary level education or for families with 2 children or more; care at home by someone else was often chosen by families with high social level. The health and psychosocial and motor development of the children were not very different according to the type of day care. There was a higher frequency of acute respiratory tract infections and a lower weight gain for children in day care centers. Mothers whose children went to a day care center were more anxious about medical symptoms and more often called for a doctor.