Tips and resources to support children birth to age five
Health and Early Childhood
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Preventing Heart Disease Starts in Childhood
Although most heart disease shows up in adults, it starts in children.
Parents are surprised to learn that atherosclerosis begins in childhood and progressively builds up throughout life. Therefore, it is worthwhile to be aware there are certain conditions and diseases that accelerate this progression.
These are called "risk factors."
Most of these are treated similarly and share the common goal of reducing the risk of heart disease. It is important to recognize that most of these risk factors are modifiable, and if therapy is adhered to, can reduce or negate these risks.
The major risk factors for identifying children at risk of developing atherosclerosis are:
* family history of abnormal lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides)
* high blood pressure in children
* obesity
* physical inactivity
* diabetes
* smoking
Read more here...
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Child's Mental Health
Mental health problems often can be prevented if children get the help they need early on from parents and schools, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine.
With 14 to 20 percent of children suffering a mental illness, that's very good news. The IOM estimates that mental disorders, which include depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, and substance abuse, cost the United States about $247 billion annually. "We have consistent scientific evidence that parents, along with the other important people in their children's lives, can use to help shape the positive behaviors of children," says David Shern, president and CEO of Mental Health America, an advocacy group.
A few programs singled out for praise:
* The Good Behavior Game, in which elementary students compete for rewards such as extra free time by acting appropriately in class, significantly reduced aggressive behavior in first graders. Students who participated were less likely to smoke or be aggressive in middle school and less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as young adults.
* Positive parenting programs, in which parents learn to use praise and rewards to encourage good behavior and rely less on harsh punishments. Children of parents in one such program, the Incredible Years, were less aggressive. Preschoolers and first-graders whose teachers used the method were rated more socially competent and had fewer behavior problems.
* The Clarke Cognitive-Behavioral Prevention Intervention, which focuses on helping teenagers at risk for depression learn to cope with stress, reduced episodes of major depression.
* The Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) program, which teaches elementary and preschool children about emotion, self-control, and problem solving, significantly reduced conflict and depression.
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Screening for Rare Genetic Disorders Now Routine in Newborns
The New York Times - Feb. 19, 2009
When David Swift’s baby girl Giana was born at Santa Monica U.C.L.A. Medical Center six years ago, a nurse approached to ask if the baby could participate in a pilot program to screen newborns for dozens of rare genetic disorders. It involved little more than a heel prick blood test, but Mr. Swift, a 33-year-old first-time father, declined.
The nurse persisted, asking the question again and again, until Mr. Swift relented. And he’s been trying to find that nurse ever since, because the test, which identified an extremely rare metabolic condition in his newborn daughter, may have saved her life.
March of Dimes report released today says all 50 states and the District of Columbia now require newborn screening for 21 or more so-called core disorders recommended for testing. These core disorders, 29 in all, include many rare but potentially disabling or fatal metabolic disorders. Although all states have rules or laws requiring the screenings, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have yet to implement their expanded programs, according to the organization.
The increase represents a big change since 2000, when most states screened for only four conditions and testing practices varied widely from state to state, according to March of Dimes officials.
“It’s a milestone,” said Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, which advocated for expanded testing. Screening rates in newborns rose from 38 percent in 2005, when the organization began monitoring, to 96 percent by the end of 2008, she said. “That’s very, very dramatic.” ...Read more
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B12 Deficit May Boost Risk of Birth Defects
3/3/09 - Women who do not have enough vitamin B12 in their blood before and after conception have a greater chance of having a baby with brain or spinal cord defects, a new study says.
Most at risk may be vegans and vegetarians, since B12 is far more common in meat and animal-based foods, noted an American and Irish research team whose findings were published in the March issue of Pediatrics..
According to the study, women with low levels of B12 had at least 2.5 times the risk of giving birth to a child with these neural tube defects, which can lead to partial paralysis or even death, than women with the highest B12 levels.
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Resuscitation at birth tied to lower IQ later on
Apr 23 2009 - Babies who require resuscitation at birth and subsequently remain healthy may still be at risk for having a low IQ when they reach 8 years of age, according to a new study.
Mild physical difficulties early in life might be enough to cause nerve damage, and thereby affect IQ in childhood and possibly later in life, Dr. David E. Odd and associates, from the University of Bristol, UK, say in their report in The Lancet medical journal. ...Read more
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May 5 2009: Autistic toddlers appear more likely to have an enlarged amygdala, a brain area associated with processing faces and emotion, U.S. researchers suggest. ...Read more
May 7 2009: Following a consistent bedtime routine improves infants' and toddlers' sleep patterns as well as their bedtime behaviors, study findings show. ...Read more
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May 8 2009: Obese children and teens are at increased risk for allergies, especially food allergies, say U.S. researchers. The study authors analyzed data from 4,111 participants, aged 2 to 19, who took part in the National Health ...Read more
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May 12 2009: Taking folic acid supplements for at least a year before conception is associated with reduction in the risk of premature birth ...Read more
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