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News and Information as of Sep 07, 2010 |
Study Claims Puberty Cming Earlier for U.S. Girls
Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:27:45 - Pacific Time
Girls in the U.S. may be continuing to hit puberty at earlier ages, according to new research. The findings suggest earlier development than what was reported in a 1997 study and show a worrying pattern, say the study's authors, led by Dr. Frank Biro of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Girls who hit puberty earlier are more likely to engage in risky behavior, Biro's team notes, and might be at a higher risk for breast cancer, than their peers who develop later. "This could represent a real trend," Dr. Joyce Lee, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Michigan who was not involved with the new research, told Reuters Health. Doctors are unsure of what could be causing girls to develop at a younger age, but rising obesity rates may be to blame, they say. In a study published today in Pediatrics, Biro's team examined about 1,200 girls aged 7 and 8 in Cincinnati, New York and San Francisco. Researchers, as well as the girls' doctors and nurses, used a standard measure of breast development to determine which girls had started puberty. Compared to the 1997 findings from girls across the U.S., girls in the current study - especially white girls - were more developed at a younger age. As previous research has shown, there were also large differences in development based on race.This study and another published today in Pediatrics suggest that being overweight, both as a young child and growing up, makes girls more likely to enter puberty earlier. In the second study, Dr. Mildred Maisonet from Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health and her colleagues observed that gaining weight quickly in infancy - a predictor of later obesity - was linked to early puberty in girls in Great Britain. Read More...
Little evidence antidepressants helpful for autism
Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:22:39 - Pacific Time
While antidepressants are commonly given to people with autism, there is no evidence from clinical trials that the drugs are helpful for children with the disorder, and only limited evidence that they benefit adults, a new research review finds. The analysis, reported in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, adds to doubts about the use of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in autism. Last year, a U.S.-government-funded study found that the SSRI citalopram (Celexa) was no better than a placebo at improving repetitive behaviors in children with autism. At the time, experts expressed surprise at the lack of benefit and said the results illustrated the need to test antidepressants against placebos in people with autism. For the new review, researchers evaluated the findings of the Celexa study, along with those of six other -- much smaller -- clinical trials in the medical literature. Overall, they found no evidence that SSRIs were better than placebos at improving repetitive behaviors or other symptoms in children with autism. And there was only limited evidence from two small clinical trials that certain SSRIs might improve anxiety, depression and other symptoms in autistic adults. On the whole, there is no basis for recommending the routine use of SSRIs in treating autism, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Katrina Williams, a pediatrician at the University of New South Wales and Sydney Children's Hospital in Australia. However, the researchers are not recommending that people with autism who are already on an SSRI and doing well stop taking their medication. As it stands, no medications are specifically approved for treating autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), a group of developmental disorders that hinder people's ability to communicate and build relationships. The conditions range from severe cases of "classic" autism to the relatively mild Asperger's syndrome. Behavioral and educational therapies that target the social, developmental and communication problems are the mainstay of autism treatment. But SSRIs are often prescribed to aid with certain symptoms; by one estimate, up to 40 percent of children with autism have been treated with an antidepressant. In the U.S., three SSRIs - sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac) and fluvoxamine (Luvox) -- are FDA approved for children older than seven. Part of the rationale for SSRI use in ASDs is that the drugs can be effective for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, conditions whose features are similar to some behaviors seen in autism. For example, repetitive behaviors -- such as repeating specific words or actions, or obsessively following a routine or schedule -- are a main feature of autism. Read More...
ADHD meds help, but many parents still against them
Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:58:06 - Pacific Time
Medication may be the most effective treatment for kids with ADHD but it’s not a cure-all, a new Consumer Reports survey shows. Parents surveyed by the magazine reported using a variety of strategies to improve their kids’ symptoms, such as hiring tutors, switching schools, modifying diets, and changing the way they spoke to their children. The results are good news, says Dr. Orly Avitzur, a neurologist and medical adviser to the magazine. Kids improve the most when medication is coupled with complementary approaches, such as behavioral therapy and strategies to help with academics. Consumer Reports interviewed 934 parents of children with ADHD, asking about a variety of topics, ranging from the impact of medications to the effect of complementary strategies, to which physicians provided the most help. Most families - 84 percent - tried medication at some point, with 67 percent reporting that the drugs helped "a lot”" In general, kids who got a prescription for ADHD were older: The average age of children who had tried medication was 13. Another strategy that got good marks was switching a child to a school that was better suited to handle ADHD. A full 45 percent of the parents who tried this approach said the switch helped "a lot." A similar strategy, hiring a tutor, got thumbs up from 37 percent of the parents who tried it. Parents also reported changing the way they interacted with their children. Some started giving their kids only one instruction at a time - that helped "a lot" for 39 percent of the parents who tried it. Read More...
Screening speech may aid autism diagnosis
Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:04:14 - Pacific Time
A device may be able to automatically screen young children for autism based on how they talk, U.S. researchers said on Monday.The small recorder fits into a child's pocket and analyzes the words the child says during the day, and a software program evaluates how the child makes certain sounds. A team of researchers led by Kimbrough Oller of the University of Memphis analyzed more than 3 million syllabic utterances, collected from almost 1,500 all-day recordings from 232 children aged 10 months to 4 years. The program correctly identified an existing autism diagnosis 86 percent of the time. The analysis also predicted the age of a typically developing child, said the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Although clinicians have been saying for many years that they think that autistic kids sound strange when they talk, there's been no practical way to use vocalization as a part of the diagnostic or screening procedure in working with autism," said Oller, professor of audiology and speech-language pathology. Oller identified the speech patterns the device analyzes and helped develop the screening method. Read More...
Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative produces long-term gains
Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:22:06 - Pacific Time
Lyricist Johnny Mercer may have stumbled onto a significant therapy when he cajoled his audience to “accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative” and “don’t mess with Mr. In-between.” The latest findings on the long-term effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) suggest that it has positive effects for children up to 13 years after they first receive treatment. CBT teaches individuals to reassess their negative thoughts and beliefs to try to instill a more positive set of judgments. There are some additional benefits to individual CBT over group-based approaches, but overall the findings suggest that practitioners working with children can be flexible about which treatment approach to adopt and remain confident about the chances of success. The research, due to be published in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, involved young people that originally participated in randomized experiments investigating the effectiveness of CBT (for children with anxiety and phobic disorders) over a decade ago. CBT itself is described in more detail elsewhere on Prevention Action (See: The value of looking on the brighter side). At the time of those original experiments, all of the children had a diagnosed anxiety disorder. A common behavior adopted by clinically anxious children (and adults) is the avoidance of situations that make them fearful. Avoidance can become extreme enough to interfere with day-to-day life. The CBT prescribed to participants of these trials relied on the principles of exposure therapy. This meant exposing participants to anxiety producing situations so that the therapist could teach them how to cope. Some participants received the treatment on an individual basis (ICBT); others attended group sessions with four to eight other children (GCBT). Both formats were standardized to ensure treatment integrity. They consisted of 10 to 12 sessions delivered by trained therapists. Wendy Silverman, a psychologist at Florida International University’s Child Anxiety and Phobia Program (CAPP), designed the program evaluation. The experiments demonstrated significant short-term reductions in symptoms of anxiety—both reported by parents and the individuals themselves—compared to control group children who did not receive CBT. A decade later, Silverman, with the help of a new team of researchers, tracked down many of the original participants to investigate whether the treatment gains observed all those years ago had been sustained. In all, 67 (out of 106) young people agreed to participate in the new assessment. They were now between 16 and 26 years old, having received CBT initially between 8 and 13 years earlier. The results were more than reassuring. The reduction in symptoms of anxiety (the target of the intervention) reported by Silverman in 1999 was sustained over the long term. Not only that, but CBT also had positive effects on other associated disorders such as depression and substance abuse. This was especially true for participants who had received individual treatment. But outcomes were also good for those who attended group sessions Read More...
When to Buy Your Child a Cellphone
Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:52:41 - Pacific Time
At what age should you buy your child a cellphone? And when you do buy that first phone, what kind should it be? About 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States own a mobile phone, up from 45 percent in 2004, according to an April study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, part of the Pew Research Center. And children are getting their phones at earlier ages, industry experts say. The Pew study, for example, found that 58 percent of 12-year-olds now had a cellphone, up from 18 percent in 2004. Parents generally say they buy their child a phone for safety reasons, because they want to be able to reach the child anytime. Cost also matters to parents, cellphone industry experts say; phones and family plans from carriers are both becoming more affordable. Also, as adults swap out their old devices for newer smartphones, it is easier to pass down a used phone.But for children, it is all about social life and wanting to impress peers. The Pew study found that half of 12- to 17-year-olds sent 50 text messages a day and texted their friends more than they talked to them on the phone or even face to face. Experts say the social pressure to text can get acute by the sixth grade, when most children are 11 years old. Just ask Caroline LaGumina, 11, of New Rochelle, N.Y., who got her phone last Christmas. "I wanted to be able to text because my friends all text each other." So when is the right time to buy that first phone? There is no age that suits all children, developmental psychologists and child safety experts say. It depends on the child’s maturity level and need for the phone, and the ability to be responsible for the device - for example, keeping it charged, keeping it on and not losing it. Instead of giving in to the claim that "everyone else has one," parents should ask why the child needs one, how it will be used and how well the child handles distraction and responsibility. "You need to figure out, are your kids capable of following your rules?" about using the phone, said Parry Aftab, executive director of the child advocacy group Wired Safety. Ruth Peters, a child psychologist in Clearwater, Fla., said most children were not ready for their own phones until age 11 to 14, when they were in middle school. Often, that is when they begin traveling alone to and from school, or to after-school activities, and may need to call a parent to change activities at the last minute or coordinate rides. Patricia Greenfield, a psychology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who specializes in children’s use of digital media, cautioned that at younger ages, parents might miss out on what was going on with their children because of a cellphone. "Kids want the phone so that they can have private communication with their peers,” she said. “You should wait as long as possible, to maintain parent-child communication." Read More...
Smoking around kids exacts a high toll
Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:42:36 - Pacific Time
American kids can breathe a sigh of relief, according to a study out today in the journal Pediatrics that finds their exposure to second-hand smoke at home has dropped significantly since the mid-1990s. But two other reports in the journal show that early-life exposure could lead to behavioral and health problems later in life. Exposure to second-hand smoke is known to cause lung problems, asthma, ear infections and contribute to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Smoking during pregnancy has also been linked to a host of psychological problems in children, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and antisocial behavior. But scientists have had a hard time teasing out the direct effects of tobacco versus lifestyle factors and mental health in the home. In one of the three studies in the journal Pediatrics, Dr. Marie-Jo Brion of the University of Bristol, U.K., and colleagues tried to disentangle those factors by analyzing two long-term studies from Britain and Brazil. Both studies had started in the early 1990s. Among British mothers, 16 percent reported smoking during pregnancy, compared with 29 percent in Brazil. The researchers initially found that at age four, the kids whose mothers smoked had higher levels of hyperactivity, peer problems and bad behavior, such as bullying, cheating and lying. The kids didn't have more emotional problems, however. After accounting for the parents' psychological health, economic position and whether the father smoked, only the bad behavior remained highly associated with having a mother who smoked, with odds increased up to 82 percent. Brion said her results weren't bulletproof evidence that exposure to tobacco in the womb causes behavior problems directly, but that it was likely to do so. Even if a prospective mother doesn't smoke, being around others who do could still affect her unborn child, according to the second study in Pediatrics.Researchers from the University of Hong Kong studied 6,800 school-aged children whose mothers weren't smokers. If their dads smoked daily, however, they tended to weigh more compared to those kids who weren't exposed to second-hand smoke in the womb or after birth. On average, they packed on an extra pound or so. The third study in Pediatrics shows that fewer kids are being exposed to smoke in the home. Dr. Gopal K. Singh of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues report that overall, about 5.5 million American children, or 7.6 percent, were exposed to second-hand smoke in the home in 2007. By contrast, that number was 35 percent in 1994. "That was a fairly dramatic drop," Singh said. "It is a positive message in the sense that exposure rates have declined." However, he and colleagues note that the 7.6 percent figure falls short of the 2010 revised national target for reducing childhood exposure to tobacco smoke at home, which is set at 6 percent. Read More...
Parenting style influences teen drinking patterns, researchers say
Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:34:16 - Pacific Time
Some parents assume that teenagers will drink alcohol and there is little they can do to prevent it. Research does indicate that parenting has little effect on whether kids decide to try alcohol. But parenting attitudes and actions can make a big difference in how much and how often a teenager drinks. Researchers at Brigham Young University surveyed 5,000 adolescents about their drinking habits and their relationship with their parents. They found the kids least prone to heavy drinking had parents who scored high on accountability (knowing where their kids were and with whom) and warmth. Having so-called "indulgent" parents, who were low on accountability and high on warmth, nearly tripled the risk of the teen participating in heavy drinking. The study also found that "strict" parents -- high on accountability and low on warmth -- more than doubled their teen's risk of heavy drinking. These results were apparent even when researchers controlled for other influences, such as peer pressure, religious and economic background. "Authoritative parents tend to be highly demanding and highly responsive," the authors wrote. "They monitor their children closely and provide high levels of support and warmth. Our data suggest that peer encouragement to drink might have less impact when parents are both highly supportive and highly attentive." Read More...
Eating with an anorexic child: A controversial treatment
Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:46:28 - Pacific Time
The little-known Maudsley Approach, is a grueling but evidence-based treatment for adolescents suffering from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. The approach, also called "family-based therapy," flips conventional treatment on its head. Often parents are advised to put their starving child in therapy or residential treatment, distance themselves to preserve the teen's independence and wait for the day the child decides to resume eating. But under Maudsley, parents immediately start the daunting task of "re-feeding" their malnourished child. Once weight is restored — and, theoretically, rational thinking returns because the brain has some nourishment — parents step back, and control over eating is gradually returned to the child. The final phase of treatment is the initial step in traditional therapy; it addresses the underlying psychological issues that may have caused the disorder. Critics of the approach say forcing adolescents to relinquish their power over food can exacerbate underlying control issues. They question whether Maudsley teaches children how to eat intuitively. And they wonder whether parents are equipped for the harrowing and relentless task of getting a child to finally eat. But Maudsley has something other remedies for anorexia do not: A modest body of clinical evidence suggesting that most adolescent patients respond favorably after relatively few treatment sessions. For parents, it's a glimmer of hope for a serious illness still lacking a gold-standard treatment. "If you just Google 'eating disorder' and 'anorexia,' you feel like you've been handed a death sentence," said Ranalli, whose already slender daughter (whom they didn't want named) lost 16 pounds in six weeks. "You cry a lot. Maudsley reassures you that it's not your fault and empowered us; we were part of the solution." Read More...
News Archive
Preliminary settlement reached in autism lawsuit: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:41:58 - Pacific Time: Read More...
States Seek Federal Waivers to Cut Special Education: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:39:57 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Genetic Errors Linked to Autism: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:51:08 - Pacific Time: Read More...
States Closing Youth Prisons as Arrests Plunge: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 06:13:10 - Pacific Time: Read More...
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects No Child Left Behind Challenge: Tue, 8 Jun 2010 07:40:43 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Burger diet linked to higher childhood asthma risk: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 06:50:03 - Pacific Time: Read More...
No magic bullet for education: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 07:58:09 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Report On "Kids For Cash" Juvenile Justice Scandal: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 07:51:09 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Vyvanse effective for teens with ADHD: Fri, 28 May 2010 04:20:17 - Pacific Time: Read More...
New Report Highlights Strategies to Improve California's Juvenile Justice System: Thu, 27 May 2010 10:34:15 - Pacific Time: Read More...
U.S. Supreme Court rejects life sentences for some youths: Tue, 18 May 2010 08:44:48 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Can Pesticides Cause ADHD?: Mon, 17 May 2010 06:47:04 - Pacific Time: Read More...
U.S. schools add fresh food without busting budgets: Thu, 6 May 2010 17:20:33 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Early Promise for Mental Retardation Drug: Wed, 5 May 2010 07:33:30 - Pacific Time: Read More...
UAE sees high rates of Down Syndrome: Tue, 4 May 2010 07:29:52 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Education Chief Vies to Expand U.S. Role as Partner on Local Schools: Tue, 4 May 2010 07:26:43 - Pacific Time: Read More...
U.S. students suffering from Internet addiction: study: Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:52:21 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Key lawmaker: Education overhaul might get left behind: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:24:40 - Pacific Time: Read More...
ADHD Linked to Interaction of Genetics and Psychology: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:58:49 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Prostitution is the leading reason for girls' involvement in the juvenile justice system.: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:18:48 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Pill Popping Kids of America: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:32:38 - Pacific Time: Read More...
84 Percent of California Teachers Reported Unfavorable Attitudes Toward NCLB: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:48:32 - Pacific Time: Read More...
CSUN Awarded Federal Grant to Strengthen Special Education Programs: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 07:29:13 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Citing Trig, Palin Says “Give Health Care Reform a Chance”: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 06:54:13 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Family therapy helps ease kids' stomach pain: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:33:25 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Texas shows Obama how to replace No Child Left Behind: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:38:16 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Obama Prepares Overhaul of No Child Left Behind: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:59:05 - Pacific Time: Read More...
National Academic Standards Call For Higher Bar In Special Education: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:45:06 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Teens With More Screen Time Have Lower-Quality Relationships: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 05:09:07 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Teen pot smokers at high risk of mental illness: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 06:23:16 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Advice on who should consider genetic testing: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:59:46 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Reading to Kids a Crucial Tool in English Language Development: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:50:51 - Pacific Time: Read More...
High-achieving disabled teens shatter stereotypes: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:26:29 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Tackling the genetic onset of Down syndrome: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 07:00:30 - Pacific Time: Read More...
White House Meeting Draws ‘R-Word’ Apology, Pledge From Emanuel: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 07:42:15 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Drugs tested to improve learning in Fragile X syndrome, may give autism hints: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 01:18:05 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Seven Years After Accusations, Judge Orders Special Education Teacher Fired: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:29:32 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Loss of epigenetic regulators causes mental retardation: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 06:37:28 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Court to decide LAUSD battle with charters: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 05:58:45 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Amount of Gene Surplus Determines Severity of Mental Retardation in Males, Researchers Find: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:28:09 - Pacific Time: Read More...