children
Children’s Mental Problems Often Overlooked
About 13 percent of American children and young teens suffer from at least one mental health disorder, yet only about half have been seen by a mental health professional, according to a survey funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and published in the journal Pediatrics.
“We need to get these kids the help they need and determine what the best type of intervention to help kids from suffering needlessly,” NIMH researcher Dr. Kathleen R. Merikangas noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.
Learn more about Children’s Mental Problems Often Overlooked
Military Children Suffer More Emotional Challenges than Other Children
A new study shows that children in military families may suffer from more emotional and behavioral difficulties when compared to other American youths. The study also found that when a parent is deployed overseas, older children and girls struggle the most.
Science Daily reports that RAND Corporation researchers found that having a parent deployed for a longer period of time and having a non-deployed parent who has struggled with emotional problems were important factors associated with whether military children would struggle themselves, according to the study, which was published online by the journal Pediatrics.
Learn more about Military Children Suffer More Emotional Challenges than Other Children
New Causes of Childhood Obesity Found
Scientists in Cambridge have discovered that the loss of a key segment of DNA can lead to severe childhood obesity. This is the first study to show that this kind of genetic alteration can cause obesity. The study, led by Dr. Sadaf Farooqi from the University of Cambridge and Dr. Matt Hurles from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, looked at 300 children with severe obesity.
Exposure to Lead and Tobacco Smoke Raises Risk of ADHD
Children exposed to tobacco smoke prenatally or exposed to lead during childhood are at a particularly high risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
The study estimates that up to 35 percent of ADHD cases in children between the ages of 8 and 15 could be reduced by eliminating both of these environmental exposures. This could translate to 800,000 children.
Learn more about Exposure to Lead and Tobacco Smoke Raises Risk of ADHD
Children on Psychiatric Drugs Can Quickly Become Obese
Children taking psychiatric drugs can quickly gain an alarming amount of weight. The Associated Press reports that a study found that many gain nearly 20 pounds and become obese within just 11 weeks of starting the medication.
“Sometimes this stuff just happens like an explosion. You can actually see them grow between appointments,” said Dr. Christopher Varley, a psychiatrist with Seattle Children’s Hospital. Varley called the study “sobering.”
Weight gain is a known possible side effect of the anti-psychotic drugs prescribed for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The drugs are increasingly being prescribed for autism, attention deficit disorders, and other behavior problems. The new study in mostly older children and teens suggests that this age group may be more vulnerable to weight gain than adults.
The study also linked some of these drugs with worrisome increases in blood fats including cholesterol, also seen in adults. Researchers tie these changes to weight gain and worry that both may make children more prone to heart problems in adulthood.
The research is the largest in children who had just started taking these medicines, and provides strong evidence suggesting the drugs, not something else, caused the side effects, said lead author Dr. Christoph Correll of North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Glen Oaks, N.Y.
But because these drugs can reduce severe psychiatric symptoms in troubled children, “We’re a little bit between a rock and a hard place,” he said.
The study authors said their results show that children on the drugs should be closely monitored for weight gain and other side effects, and that when possible, other medicines should be tried first.
The study appears in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association. It involved 205 New York City-area children from 4 to 19 years old who had recently been prescribed one of the drugs; the average age was 14.
Depending on which of four study drugs children used, they gained between about 10 and 20 pounds on average in almost 11 weeks; from 10 percent to 36 percent became obese.
The drugs are Abilify, Risperdal, Seroquel, and Zyprexa. Of the four, Seroquel and Zyprexa are not yet approved for children, and they had the worst effects on weight and cholesterol. However, a government advisory panel recently voted in favor of pediatric use for the two drugs, and the Food and Drug Administration often follows its advisers’ recommendations.
The drugs’ makers said these problems are known side effects but emphasized the drugs’ benefits in helping patients cope with serious mental illness.
The four drugs have been considered safer than older anti-psychotic drugs, which can cause sometimes permanent involuntary muscle twitches and tics. That has contributed to widespread use of the newer drugs, including for less severe behavior problems, a JAMA editorial said.
The number of children using these drugs has soared to more than 2 million annually, according to one estimate.
Doctors “should not stretch the boundaries” by prescribing the drugs for conditions they haven’t been proven to treat, said Varley, co-author of the editorial.
Why these drugs cause weight gain is uncertain but there’s some evidence that they increase appetite and they may affect how the body metabolizes sugar, said Jeff Bishop, a psychiatric pharmacist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The drugs also can have a sedation effect that can make users less active.
Learn more about Children on Psychiatric Drugs Can Quickly Become Obese
Study Examines Preventing Anxiety in Children of Anxious Parents
In a new pilot study, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center attempted to prevent or mitigate anxiety disorders among children of anxious parents.
In the investigation, researchers used a family-based program of cognitive behavioral therapy with generally positive results.
Learn more about Study Examines Preventing Anxiety in Children of Anxious Parents
Children with Mental Health Problems Have Greater Risk of Obesity
It has long been known that there is a connection between mental health and physical health. As a result, there is also a connection between mental wellness and obesity. According to a new study, children with emotional difficulties are at a higher risk for developing obesity in adult life.
Learn more about Children with Mental Health Problems Have Greater Risk of Obesity
US Children Are Exposed to More Violence and Abuse Than Previously Recognized
A new study has found that U.S. children are routinely exposed to even more violence and abuse than has been previously recognized. The study conducted by the University of New Hampshire also revealed that nearly half of the children experienced a physical assault in the study year.
“Children experience far more violence, abuse, and crime than do adults,” said David Finkelhor, director of the UNH Crimes against Children Research Center and the study director. “If life were this dangerous for ordinary grown-ups, we’d never tolerate it,” he said.
Learn more about US Children Are Exposed to More Violence and Abuse Than Previously Recognized
Children Who Eat Sweets Daily Are More Likely to Be Violent Adults
Children who eat sweets and chocolate every day are more likely to be violent as adults, according to new research.
A study of almost 17,500 participants in the 1970 British Cohort Study found that 10-year-olds who ate sweets daily were significantly more likely to have been convicted for violence at age 34.
Learn more about Children Who Eat Sweets Daily Are More Likely to Be Violent Adults
Smoking During Pregnancy Puts Children at Risk of Psychotic Symptoms
Mothers who smoke during pregnancy put their children at greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms in their teenage years.
Science Daily reports that researchers from Cardiff, Bristol, Nottingham, and Warwick Universities studied 6,356 12-year-olds from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. All the children completed an interview for psychotic-like symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions.
Learn more about Smoking During Pregnancy Puts Children at Risk of Psychotic Symptoms
Connect with an Elements Recovery Adviser
newsletter
