Having Older Grandfather May Raise Child's Autism Risk: Study

Title: Having Older Grandfather May Raise Child's Autism Risk: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 3/20/2013 4:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/21/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Meth in Pregnancy May Blunt Child's Reaction to Stress: Study

Title: Meth in Pregnancy May Blunt Child's Reaction to Stress: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 3/20/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/21/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Having Older Grandfather May Raise Child's Autism Risk: Study

Men who became dads at age 50 or older had higher odds for a grandchild with the disorder

By E.J. Mundell

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- The odds that a child will develop autism could be linked to their grandfather's age at the time they were born, a new Swedish study suggests.

The study found that men who fathered a child at the age of 50 or older were more likely to have a grandchild with autism, suggesting that the risk might be passed down through successive generations.

Men who had a daughter at age 50 or older were 79 percent more likely to have a grandchild with autism compared to men who fathered when they were in their early 20s, the research team reported in the March 20 issue of the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Men who fathered a son at age 50 or older had a 67 percent higher risk of having a grandchild with the disorder compared to men who fathered a child as young adults.

"We tend to think in terms of the here and now when we talk about the effect of the environment on our genome," said study co-author Dr. Avi Reichenberg, who worked on the study while at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, in England. "For the first time in psychiatry, we show that your father's and grandfather's lifestyle choices can affect you.

"This doesn't mean that you shouldn't have children if your father was old when he had you, because while the risk is increased, it is still small," added Reichenberg, who is now an autism researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City. "However, the findings are important in understanding the complex way in which autism develops."

Although the study found a correlation between advanced age in grandfathers and the odds for autism in children, it is only an observational trial, so it cannot prove cause and effect. And another expert also stressed that the absolute risk to any one family remains small.

"Although there was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of autism in families with older grandparents, it must be remembered that autism was still extremely infrequent even in families with the oldest grandparents," said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park. "Thus, older parents and grandparents should not be unduly worried."

The new research was published on the same day that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that one in every 50 U.S. school children now has an autism spectrum disorder -- up from the 2007 estimate of 1 in 88. The CDC says improved detection and diagnosis are probably responsible for most of that increase.

In the new study, researchers looked at data from Sweden's national registries and compared about 6,000 people with autism to about 31,000 people without the condition. They looked at the age of each person's maternal and paternal grandfather at the time of the individual's birth.

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Low Prenatal Iodine May Affect Child's Brain Development

Mothers with deficiency had kids with lower IQs and reading ability, researchers say

By Alan Mozes

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Mild to moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy may have a negative long-term impact on children's brain development, British researchers report.

Low levels of the so-called "trace element" in an expectant mother's diet appear to put her child at risk of poorer verbal and reading skills during the preteen years, the study authors found. Pregnant women can boost their iodine levels by eating enough dairy products and seafood, the researchers suggested.

The finding, published online May 22 in The Lancet, stems from an analysis of roughly 1,000 mother-child pairs who were tracked until the child reached the age of 9 years.

"Our results clearly show the importance of adequate iodine status during early pregnancy, and emphasize the risk that iodine deficiency can pose to the developing infant," study lead author Margaret Rayman, of the University of Surrey in Guildford, England, said in a journal news release.

The study authors explained that iodine is critical to the thyroid gland's hormone production process, which is known to have an impact on fetal brain development.

According to the World Health Organization, iodine "sufficiency" is defined as having a so-called iodine-to-creatinine ratio of 150 micrograms per gram (mcg/g) or more; those with a ratio falling below 150 mcg/g are deemed to be iodine "deficient."

By examining first-trimester urine sample data collected by a long-term study of parents and children based in Bristol, England, the study authors found that just over two-thirds of the mothers had been iodine-deficient while pregnant.

After adjusting for other factors (such as breast-feeding history and parental education), the researchers found that iodine deficiency during pregnancy raised the child's risk for having a lower verbal IQ, and poorer reading accuracy and comprehension by the time they turned 8 or 9.

What's more, the more iodine levels dropped during pregnancy, the lower the child's performance in terms of IQ and reading ability, the study authors noted.

Study co-author and registered dietitian Sarah Bath agreed that "pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy should ensure adequate iodine intake." She suggested in the news release that "good dietary sources are milk, dairy products and fish. . . . Kelp supplements should be avoided as they may have excessive levels of iodine."

The U.S. National Institutes of Health states that 3 ounces of baked cod contains approximately 99 mcg of iodine, 1 cup of plain low-fat yogurt contains about 75 mcg, and 1 cup of reduced-fat milk has an estimated 56 mcg.

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C-Section May Raise Child's Risk of Allergies, Asthma: Study

Title: C-Section May Raise Child's Risk of Allergies, Asthma: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Maternal Depression, Violence at Home May Raise Child's ADHD Risk

By Denise Mann

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Preschoolers whose parents report depression and intimate partner violence may be more likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by the age of 6, new research suggests.

And young children with depressed moms may be more likely to receive prescription drugs to treat behavioral and mental health issues down the road.

"Our study indicates that preschoolers who are diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to have been exposed to both intimate partner violence and parental depression within the first three years of life than their peers not exposed to either risk factor," said study author Dr. Nerissa Bauer, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, in Indianapolis.

"There has been increasing awareness that certain psychosocial risk factors can impact the behavioral presentation of children at very young ages," she said. Still, not all children who are exposed to maternal depression and intimate partner violence will develop ADHD, she noted.

"There are other factors that can be associated with a child's higher likelihood of being diagnosed with ADHD, including a family history of ADHD," Bauer explained.

ADHD symptoms can include impulsiveness, hyperactivity and difficulty focusing. Kids with ADHD may have difficulty in school, holding down jobs and sustaining relationships. They are also at greater risk for alcohol or substance abuse, depression and anxiety disorders. Treatment typically involves medication and behavioral modifications.

"Pediatricians and family practitioners know to routinely screen for the presence of these psychosocial risk factors because of the potential negative effects on the child," Bauer said. "Families who experience intimate partner violence will need help, not only to make sure the victims stay safe from physical harm, but there [are] also psychological effects."

The study, which appeared online Feb. 4 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, included more than 2,400 children who were 3 years old. Parents who brought them to four different pediatric community clinics filled out questionnaires regarding their personal history of depression and domestic violence while in the pediatricians' waiting room.

Fifty-eight caregivers reported a history of intimate partner violence and depression before their child turned 3. In addition, 69 reported a history of intimate partner violence and 704 had symptoms of depression during this time frame. Close to 66 percent of the parents reported neither depression nor intimate partner violence. Children who were exposed to intimate partner violence and/or parental depression were four times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD by the age of 6.

What's more, 2.9 percent of kids whose parents reported depression received prescription drugs to treat behavioral and mental health issues, compared with 1.6 percent of children whose parents did not report a history of depression. Medications included those that treat anxiety, depression and sleep problems.

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Can You Boost Your Child’s IQ?

What makes kids smart may surprise you

You probably already that know genetics along with good nutrition, protection from toxins, and plenty of playtime and exercise all work together to nurture a child's intelligence. But is there something more you can do to actively boost your child's IQ?

Surprisingly, most child development experts aren’t touting the flashiest new toys or computer programs or even the latest Baby Mozart video. But they do have insights you may find useful in helping your child reach his or her full intellectual potential.

How does a child's brain develop?

From before birth to age 4, an infant's brain grows explosively. In fact, your child's brain has reached 90% of its adult size before kindergarten. This period of great growth provides an ideal window of opportunity for learning.

But the brain doesn't stop developing at age 4. It continues to organize and restructure throughout childhood and on into early adult life, becoming more complex. Unfortunately, knowing about the brain's early growth has prompted many parents to panic about their child's IQ or push their kids into "primo preschools."

"It's a classic American concern," Ross A. Thompson, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis says,  "how to accelerate learning. Many parents believe that if their children learn fast early, they will remain accelerated. But children learn best at a natural rate. Those who show early advances settle out by the time they reach grade school. Others catch up."

The early years do matter, Thompson says. "But lower circuits in the brain must be built before higher circuits, and advanced skills must be based on basic skills," he says.

Emotion drives learning

One of these basic skills involves creating a template for close relationships, usually through early attachment to parents and caregivers. Critical to your child's emotional and social development, attachment also helps build your child's intelligence.

Being attuned to your child's inner mental life helps your child's developing brain become integrated, according to Daniel J. Siegel, MD, director of the Center for Human Development at the UCLA School of Medicine. Writing in Infant Mental Health Journal, Siegel, who studies how relationships affect learning, says being attuned also provides a "safety net" for your child's brain.

Pat Wolfe, an educational consultant and co-author of Building the Reading Brain, PreK-3, says, "Close, affectionate relationships throughout childhood are important, but especially when a child is little." One way to connect with your child is to listen closely and make eye contact. "If you only pretend to listen because you're distracted, kids pick up on that really fast," Wolfe says. Other ways to connect include your facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, and other nonverbal signals. Wolfe says that when your child is older, one of the best things you can do is to talk about the day.

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How a Child's ADHD Affects Their Siblings

Having a child with ADHD means dedicating time to meeting their special needs, and to making sure that doesn't come at the expense of your other children.

"Being a parent of a child with ADHD can be hard," says Terry Dickson, MD, director of the Behavioral Medicine Clinic of NW Michigan, and an ADHD coach.

ADHD Multimodal Treatment

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and the inability to control impulses. It affects an estimated 1.5 to 3.5 million school-age children in the U.S. Everyone, especially younger children, may have symptoms of ADHD from time to time. But with ADHD, the ability to function with daily activities is affected. A diagnosis of ADHD can be hard to make, and evaluation must be made by a specialist. There are several different approaches to...

Read the ADHD Multimodal Treatment article > >

"It's so important for parents to show all of their children -- both the child with ADHD and the kids without -- that they are equally loved. But given the needs of a child with ADHD, it takes work to keep it balanced."

When there's a child with ADHD in the family, it's common for their siblings to feel jealous and to act out if they sense their parents' attention shifting away from them.

"It works like a squeaky wheel," says Los Angeles psychotherapist Jenn Berman, PhD. "The child who is being the loudest gets the most attention from the parents."

Usually, that's the child with ADHD, so it's normal for parents to spend most of their energy focusing on meeting that child's special needs, whether it's in therapy, extra time at home doing homework, or a special effort on managing disobedience or impulsivity.

The behavior of children with ADHD can also make them hard to get along with as a peer, which means their brothers or sisters simply might not like being around them.

"The child who doesn't have ADHD might prefer to be at a friend's house than at home, might not invite other kids over to hang out, or might be embarrassed socially," says Dickson, who has a child with ADHD.

School is another outlet for kids who have a brother or sister with ADHD.

"It can be a reprieve where kids can get away from the stress they might be experiencing at home, or kids can use it as an opportunity to act out for attention," says Mark Wolraich, MD, a pediatrics professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

The bottom line is that parents need to share the love and the attention with all their children,whether or not they have ADHD.

Balance is the key. Here are tips from the experts on how to help your kids with an ADHD sibling learn, adjust, and grow:

1. Manage expectations. Parents expect immediate obedience from their kids who don't have ADHD, Dickson says. It's common for them to think that their child should know better because they don't have the condition. But remember, they're still kids, and helping them understand boundaries and rules is just as important for them as it is for the child with ADHD.

2. Be fair. Just like you shouldn't be extra hard on your kids who don't have ADHD, you shouldn't be too lenient with the one that does, Dickson says. Be clear about the house rules and enforce them equally with all the kids.

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