Children's Health: Lead exposure linked to ADHD in kids ♦ Light exposure and kids' weight: Is there a link? ♦ Interaction during reading is key to language development

Lead exposure linked to ADHD in kids with genetic mutation Exposure to small amounts of lead may contribute to ADHD symptoms in children who have a particular gene mutation, according to new research. The scientists do not purport that lead is the only cause of ADHD symptoms, nor does the research indicate that lead exposure will guarantee an ADHD diagnosis; rather, the study demonstrates that environmental pollutants, such as lead, do play a role in the explanation of ADHD.

Light exposure and kids' weight: Is there a link? Light exposure plays a role in the weight of preschool children, a world-first study reveals. The researchers studied children aged three to five, from six childcare centers, measuring the children's sleep, activity and light exposure for a two week period, along with height and weight to calculate their BMI, then followed up 12-months later.

One in four kids sexually harassed by friends online It's not just strangers who target children online. Kids' own friends are sexually harassing them over the Internet, finds new research. Girls, and kids with low self-control, were more likely to be sexually harassed online. But the biggest surprise was the finding that 24 percent of study participants were sexually harassed over the Internet

Interaction during reading is key to language development A new study finds babies make more speech-like sounds during reading than when playing with puppets or toys -- and mothers are more responsive to these types of sounds while reading to their child than during the other activities.

Children's Health: Early-life exercise alters gut microbes,♦ Parents can play a role in preventing teen fighting ♦ How does type of toy affect quantity, quality of language in infant playtime?

Early-life exercise alters gut microbes, promotes healthy brain and metabolism The human gut harbors a teeming menagerie of over 100 trillion microorganisms, and researchers have discovered that exercising early in life can alter that microbial community for the better, promoting healthier brain and metabolic activity over the course of a lifetime.

How does type of toy affect quantity, quality of language in infant playtime? Electronic toys for infants that produce lights, words and songs were associated with decreased quantity and quality of language compared to playing with books or traditional toys such as a wooden puzzle, a shape-sorter and a set of rubber blocks.

Parents can play a role in preventing teen fighting With nearly one-fourth of teens reporting fighting in the past year, a new study finds parents, who are often left out of violence prevention programs, can play an important role in reducing adolescent altercations

Undiagnosed Diseases Program gives answers where there were none An Undiagnosed Diseases Program provides an ending for one family's 24 year search for answers to their children's health issues.

Children's Health: Parental absence affects brain development in children ♦ Herniated disks in children, ♦ First language wires brain for later language-learning

Recommended levels of activity rarely achieved by obese children and those with liver disease Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is most common form of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents in western countries, and yet new research indicates that obese children rarely achieve recommended levels of activity.

Parental absence affects brain development in children Researchers have found that children who have been left without direct parental care for extended periods of time show larger gray matter volumes in the brain.

Herniated disks in children, teens linked to lower spine malformations Most children and adolescents with herniated disks in the lower (lumbar) spine have some sort of malformation of the spinal vertebrae, reports a study. Herniated disks in the lumbar spine are common in adults, typically related to repetitive overloading and age-related degeneration. But this type of wear and tear can't explain the uncommon occurrence in children and teens.

First language wires brain for later language-learning You may believe that you have forgotten the Chinese you spoke as a child, but your brain hasn't. Moreover, that "forgotten" first language may well influence what goes on in your brain when you speak English or French today.

Children's Health: Light exposure linked to weight gain in children ♦ Children who take antibiotics gain weight faster than kids who don't ♦ Baby's' babbles reflect their own involvement in language developmen

Baby's' babbles reflect their own involvement in language development Babies' repetitive babbles, such as 'dada' or 'baba,' primarily are motivated by infants' ability to hear themselves talk, say researchers. Infants with profound hearing loss who received cochlear implants to improve their hearing soon babbled as often as their hearing peers, allowing them to catch up developmentally.

Children who take antibiotics gain weight faster than kids who don't Kids who receive antibiotics throughout the course of their childhoods gain weight significantly faster than those who do not.

Light exposure linked to weight gain in children A world-first study has revealed preschoolers exposed to more light earlier in day tend to weigh more. She says the research suggests light exposure, artificial and natural, needs to be part of the conversation about the weight of children, along with calorie intake, decreased physical activity and sleep patterns.

New study characterizes pediatric ED visits attributed to contact with law enforcement In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have found that injuries related to legal interventions, or contact with law enforcement, involving male teenagers is not an uncommon occurrence in the United States

Language literacy in kindergarten important for success in learning English English learners are more likely to become proficient English speakers if they enter kindergarten with a strong initial grasp of academic language literacy, either in their primary language or in English,

Children's Health:Childhood physical, sexual abuse linked to ulcerative colitis ♦ Depressed teens at risk of heart disease,♦ Identifying children at risk for sleep-disordered breathing

Kindergarten boys less interested in language activities A Norwegian study of kindergarten children reveals that girls are more interested in language activities than boys. As a result boys may receive less linguistic stimulation and become less prepared for school than girls.

Childhood physical, sexual abuse linked to ulcerative colitis Adults who were exposed to childhood physical or sexual abuse were approximately twice as likely to have ulcerative colitis.

Depressed teens at risk of heart disease, early monitoring urged Teens with major depression or bipolar disorder are at high risk of early heart and blood vessel disease. For the first time, experts urge early monitoring and assertive intervention to reduce risk factors for heart and blood vessel disease among teens with major depression or bipolar disorder.

Anesthesia professionals key to identifying children at risk for sleep-disordered breathing prior to surgery Knowing which risks may come into play before or during surgery is especially important where children are concerned. Implementation of a screening questionnaire helps anesthesia professionals identify children with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) before undergoing a general anesthetic

Kids, teens win when mental health providers team with family doctors Children and adolescents who receive integrated mental health and medical treatment are 66 percent more likely to have a good outcome than those who receive more traditional primary care.

10/21/13 Daily Health News, Virus Fighting Protein, Toddler's Language Skills, Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Toddler Brain Scan Gives Language Insight

The brain has a critical window for language development between the ages of two and four, brain scans suggest. Environmental influences have their biggest impact before the age of four, as the brain's wiring develops to process new words, say UK and US scientists. The research in The Journal of Neuroscience suggests disorders causing language delay should be tackled early. It also explains why young children are good at learning two languages.  Continue Reading

Pentagon Seeks to Design Virus-Fighting Protein 'Cocktails'

The U.S. Defense Department is weighing a new search for immune-protein "cocktails" it hopes will protect humans against Ebola and other deadly, weapon-usable viruses. The Pentagon two weeks ago invited scientists to submit research proposals for designing "monoclonal antibodies" that could protect Continue Reading

Keys Uncovered to Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

University of Notre Dame researchers Shahriar Mobashery and Mayland Chang and their collaborators in Spain have published research results that show how methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) regulates the critical crosslinking of its cell wall in the face of beta-lactam antibiotics. The work, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals the mechanistic basis for how the MRSA bacterium became such a difficult pathogen over the previous 50 years, in which time it spread rapidly across the world.Continue Reading