2008 InfoMedLinks Health - Environment and Learning Archives
2008 Health - Environment and Learning:
Featured Child Health and Learning Archives
Recent archived links on top:
Boy-girl Bullying In Middle Grades More Common Than Previously Thought
Bullies May Enjoy Seeing Others In Pain “"Aggressive adolescents showed a specific and very strong activation of the amygdala and ventral striatum (an area that responds to feeling rewarded) when watching pain inflicted on others, which suggested that they enjoyed watching pain," he said. Unlike the control group, the youth with conduct disorder did not activate the area of the brain involved in self-regulation (the medial prefrontal cortex and the temporoparietal junction).”
Bullying Of Teenagers Online Is Common, UCLA Psychologists Report “Nearly three in four teenagers say they were bullied online at least once during a recent 12-month period, and only one in 10 reported such cyber-bullying to parents or other adults, according to a new study by UCLA psychologists.”
Bullying starts early and escalates for some kids “Bullying starts as early as preschool for some children and may get progressively worse, a new study shows. The study also found that children who show early signs of being physically aggressive (at age 17 months), who come from families with harsh parenting styles, or from poor families seem more likely to be consistently the target of bullying by their peers. "Preventive efforts should start early and focus on the child and their family to alleviate or mitigate these negative life experiences and their related outcomes," Dr. Michel Boivin from Laval University, Quebec City, Canada, an investigator on the study, told Reuters Health. In the report, published today in Archives of General Psychiatry, Boivin and colleagues point out that as many as 1 in 10 children are bullied by children their own age. Studies also show that peer bullying "becomes increasingly stable over time, with the same children enduring such negative experiences throughout childhood and adolescence," they note. Chronic bullying may lead to a whole host of problems including depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, physical health problems, social withdrawal, alcohol or drug use, low school performance, as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors. “
Conduct disorder in girls: neighborhoods, family characteristics, and parenting behaviors. (Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2008) “ … CD in adolescent girls is not significantly associated with neighborhood, but is associated with some family characteristics and some types of parental behaviors.”
Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on hippocampal volume, verbal learning, and verbal and spatial recall in late childhood. (J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2008) “Results revealed smaller left hippocampi and poorer verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall performance in children with FASDs than controls, as well as positive correlations between selective memory indices and hippocampal volumes only in the FASD group. Additionally, hippocampal volumes increased significantly with age in controls only, suggesting that PAE may be associated with long-term abnormalities in hippocampal development that may contribute to impaired verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall.”
Exercise Helps Overweight Children Reduce Anger Expression “The finding fits with evidence that exercise reduces depression and anxiety in children and with what's considered common knowledge that exercise helps adults manage anger, she said. It also gives parents and other caregivers another reason to get and keep children moving. "I think it's reasonable to encourage children to exercise for a lot of good reasons," said Dr. Davis whose research on overweight children has shown regular physical activity not only reduces fatness but improves cognition and reduces insulin resistance – which can lead to diabetes. "I think if teachers could see that exercise helps kids control their behavior and get along, they would be the top proponents of physical activity for kids," said Dr. Davis, noting that other studies suggests overweight children are more likely to be bullies and to be bullied. High levels of anger and hostility have been associated with delinquency in children, cardiovascular disease in adults and metabolic syndrome - which can lead to heart attack, stroke and diabetes - in adolescents.“
Kids should work with hands for brains' sake “British children's brain development is being threatened by their failure to work with their hands in school and at home, said a report released on Monday. With woodwork, metalwork, craft, music or car mechanic classes dropped by many schools and children wanting to play computer games at home the UK is becoming a "software instead of a screwdriver society", said the report, commissioned by the Ruskin Mill Educational Trust. "Working with one's own hands in a real-world 3-D environment is imperative for full cognitive and intellectual development," said the report's author Dr. Aric Sigman. "Research is showing that increasing time spent in the virtual world of computers is displacing hands-on play and hands-on learning.”
Learning From Mistakes Only Works After Age 12, Study Suggests “Eight-year-old children have a radically different learning strategy from twelve-year-olds and adults. Eight-year-olds learn primarily from positive feedback ('Well done!'), whereas negative feedback ('Got it wrong this time') scarcely causes any alarm bells to ring. Twelve-year-olds are better able to process negative feedback, and use it to learn from their mistakes. Adults do the same, but more efficiently.“
Lifetime criminality among boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A prospective follow-up study into adulthood using official arrest records. (Psychiatry Res. 2008)
Many U.S. Public Schools In 'Air Pollution Danger Zone'
'Math Dyslexia' Unravelled “Research shows that many children who experience mathematical difficulties have developmental dyscalculia - a syndrome that is similar to dyslexia, a learning disability that affects a child's ability to read. Children with dyscalculia often have difficulty understanding numerical quantity. For example, they find it difficult to connect abstract symbols, such as a number, to the numerical magnitude it represents. They can't see the connection, for instance, between five fingers and the number '5'. This is similar to children with dyslexia who have difficulty connecting sounds with letters. In a recent study Ansari and graduate student Ian Holloway showed that children who are better at connecting numerical symbols and magnitudes are also those who have higher math scores.”
Teen girls may skip school more often than boys “Students who were fearful of school had more "internalizing" problems, or psychological problems like depression and anxiety in which negative feelings are directed inward. The truant students, on the other hand, had more "externalizing" problems, such as aggression, and were also more likely to be delinquent. The survey also showed that adolescents who feared school had less self-esteem than control students who didn't report absenteeism as well as their truant peers, while truants and those with school fears were actually more self-aware than control kids.“
U.S. Kids Take More Psychotropic Drugs Than Europeans “American children are three times more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications for conditions such as ADHD and bipolar disease than European children are, a new study finds. Differences in regulatory practices and cultural beliefs about the benefit of medication for emotional and behavioral problems may explain this dramatic difference, the U.S. researchers added. "There is significantly greater use of atypical antipsychotics and SSRI-type antidepressants for child mental health treatment in U.S. than in Western Europe," said lead researcher Julie Zito, from the pharmaceutical health services research department in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland. "Since most of the use is 'off-label' -- without adequate evidence of benefits and risks, close monitoring should be considered when these medications are used." “
Want to boost kids’ grades? Get them moving “Experts speculate that exercise may boost academic performance in various ways, including: burning off pent-up energy and allowing kids to pay attention better and focus on their work; boosting self-esteem and mood; and increasing blood flow to the brain, helping with memory and concentration. Studies in older people have found that cognitive function is significantly better among those who are active, Pivarnik notes. “This is the other end,” he says. “This is the developmental end.” “
Bullying: Help your child handle a school bully
Bullying Top Concern of Parents With Overweight Child “"We found that parents with overweight or obese children actually view bullying as a greater problem than childhood obesity," Dr. Matthew M. Davis, director of the National Poll on Children's Health, said in a university news release. "Since bullying is known to be a problem for children with increased weight, bullying prevention programs will need to be mindful of obesity as a potential trigger for bullying behavior and of parents concerns surrounding this issue." “
Children Who Are Concerned About Parents Arguing Are Prone To School Problems “Children who worry about how their parents get along with each other are more likely than other children to have psychological problems. Now a new study says that children who worry a lot about conflicts between their parents are more likely to have problems in school because they have more difficulty paying attention to the tasks before them.”
Even kids born near term may do poorly in school “Babies born just a few weeks too soon are more likely than full-term infants to have difficulties in kindergarten through the fifth grade, a study shows.”
How Can I Help Teens Who Are Victims of Cyberbullying? “According to the National Crime Prevention Council, cyberbullying is the use of the Internet, cell phones, or other communication devices to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person. The prevalence of cyberbullying is difficult to determine; however, an estimated 9% to 34% of adolescents are victims of bullying, and 4% to 21% of adolescents are perpetrators.[1] A study of 177 seventh graders found that approximately 60% of cybervictims are females, while over 52% of cyberbullies are males.[2] The use of technology has increased drastically in the past few years, yet many adults -- parents, teachers, and healthcare providers -- remain unaware that youths are being harassed by their peers through technological devices. Therefore, nurse practitioners (NPs) need to become more aware of this phenomenon and how they can minimize its effects.“
A terrible ache that's not all in the head “ "The primary difference in children is that they can have migraine without headache pain. They are likely to have what's called 'abdominal migraine' which could be stomach ache in the navel area, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting." Young children find it hard to explain their migraine symptoms, and are less likely to be able to push for treatment, adds Little. "There's a lot of stigma attached to it as well. People think it's attention seeking without realising how serious it is," he says. "It can affect their lives very seriously and particularly their studies, so we target teachers with information to get them to recognise the effect it can have on young people and there are allowances in exams. … If your child has migraine, it's important to talk to the school and make them aware of the child's condition, particularly if it is likely to cause absence. The Migraine Association of Ireland also encourages parents to help their children learn the signs that a migraine is coming, so they can let the teacher know and better manage the attack if it happens in school. And they offer the following tips for approaching schoolwork: • Take frequent breaks from long periods of studying, particularly if using a computer screen or if the work is stressful • Eat regularly throughout the day • Get some exercise and fresh air during the day - walk or cycle to school if possible • Watch caffeine intake (present in coffee and some soft drinks) - drink plenty of water instead • Make the study environment as comfortable as possible: keep good posture, light the area well and do stretching exercises to avoid stiffness and tension …“
Abnormalities in Developing Adolescent Brain Seen in Bipolar Disorder
Adolescents with Childhood ADHD and Comorbid Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Aggression, Anger, and Hostility. (Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2008) “Conclusion: Adolescents diagnosed with ADHD and comorbid disruptive behavior disorders during childhood report high levels of aggression associated with increased emotionality in the form of anger, but not hostile cognitions. These findings suggest that in addition to inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, emotional dysregulation may be an important component of ADHD, particularly as it presents in adolescence.”
Bullying And Being Bullied Linked To Suicide In Children, Review Of Studies Suggests “According to international studies, bullying is common and affects anywhere from 9 percent to 54 percent of children. In the United States, many have blamed bullying for spurring acts of violence, including the Columbine High School massacre. In the United States, many adults scoff at bullying and say, "Oh, that's what happens when kids are growing up," according to Kim, who argues that bullying is serious and causes major problems for children. Kim is currently studying whether being bullied actually leads to suicide, although she acknowledges it will be difficult for researchers to get a firm grasp on a cause-and-effect relationship. She said that to confirm a definitive link, researchers would have to rule out the possibility that some unknown factor makes certain children more susceptible to both bullying and suicide. For now, Kim said, the existing research should encourage adults to pay more attention to bullying and signs of suicidal behavior in children.”
Cross-informant agreement about bullying and victimization among eight-year-olds: whose information best predicts psychiatric caseness 10-15 years later? (Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2008) “CONCLUSION: "Frequent bullying" behaviour of boys is a marker of present and later psychopathology. The education system and school health-care service in mid- childhood are of great importance for the early detection of bullying and prevention of later adverse outcomes. A closer integration of these systems in the context of school should be promoted.”
Early puberty tied to aggression in some girls “Girls who go through puberty early may be at increased risk of aggressive behavior, but only if they lack a strong relationship with their parents, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among 330 fifth-grade girls, those who had started puberty earlier than average were more likely to admit to aggressive behaviors like getting into fights, teasing other children and spreading rumors. However, this was true only of girls who lacked a positive relationship with their parents -- meaning their parents fell short when it came to nurturing them, talking out problems or monitoring their comings-and-goings. “
How Does the Brain Differ in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder vs Severe Irritability and ADHD?
How Effective Are School Bullying Intervention Programs? A Meta-Analysis of Intervention Research (School Psychology Quarterly 2008) “The authors conclude that school bullying interventions may produce modest positive outcomes; that they are more likely to influence knowledge, attitudes, and self-perceptions rather than actual bullying behaviors; and that the majority of outcome variables in intervention studies are not meaningfully impacted.”
Infant temperament can predict behavior problems “Parents' interactions with their baby during the first year of life can predict the odds of behavior problems later on -- as can the baby's natural temperament, research suggests. The study, which followed nearly 1,900 children from infancy up to age 13, found that children whose mothers gave them plenty of intellectual stimulation in the first year of life -- reading to them, talking to them and taking them out of the house -- were less likely to have serious behavioral problems. At the same time, the odds of behavior problems were also linked to certain measures of the children's temperament during infancy -- such as how "fussy" they were, or whether they had a generally happy or more moody disposition.“
Sleep and behavioral/emotional problems in children: A population-based study (Sleep Medicine 2008) “Hyperactivity and conduct problems at school in boys were both associated with parental reports of bedtime resistance. Hyperactivity was also associated with longer sleep duration during weekends. Conduct and emotional problems in girls were associated with earlier bedtime during school days. Emotional problems in girls were also associated with longer sleep durations in school days and weekends.”
Teachers Become Nurses as Schools Get Squeezed
Cyberbullying among Turkish adolescents. (Cyberpsychol Behav. 2008)
Depression and school performance in middle adolescent boys and girls (Journal of Adolescence 2008)
Enhancing Parenting Practices of At-risk Mothers. (J Prim Prev. 2008)
Fixing Up 'This Old House' May Increase Exposure To Lead In Young
Genetic cause for type of childhood epilepsy identified “Scientists have identified the mutated gene responsible for development of a type of epilepsy called childhood absence epilepsy, or CAE. The condition is associated with frequent "absent" seizures where the patient's consciousness is impaired leaving the child staring blankly ahead not aware or responsive for up to 10 seconds at a time. An inherited disorder, CAE accounts for 10 to 12 percent of epilepsy in children under age 16. CAE often disappears in adulthood.”
High-school Girls Who Consider Themselves Attractive Are More Likely To Be Targets For Bullying
Meta-analysis of long-term mobile phone use and the association with brain tumours. (Int J Oncol. 2008) “We conclude that this meta-analysis gave a consistent pattern of an association between mobile phone use and ipsilateral glioma and acoustic neuroma using >/=10-years latency period.”
Oppositional defiant disorder. (Aust Fam Physician. 2008) “DISCUSSION: Many of the behaviours required to meet this diagnosis are not uncommon in the preschool child or adolescent. However, in children with ODD the behaviours are persistent, cause significant distress to the family system, and impact on the child's social and educational functioning. Oppositional defiant disorder usually presents in the preschool years, although it may become evident during adolescence. There is strong evidence that early intervention to increase positive factors in family relationships and to increase both the parents' and child's skill levels can assist in the prevention of more serious disorders and mental health issues.”
Pediatric MS Affects Thinking, Memory
Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Cell Phone Use and Behavioral Problems in Children. (Epidemiology. 2008) "CONCLUSIONS:: Exposure to cell phones prenatally-and, to a lesser degree, postnatally-was associated with behavioral difficulties such as emotional and hyperactivity problems around the age of school entry. These associations may be noncausal and may be due to unmeasured confounding. If real, they would be of public health concern given the widespread use of this technology."
Prevalence and correlates of physical and sexual abuse in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder. (J Affect Disord. 2008) “LIMITATIONS: Retrospective data. Also, since this is a cross-sectional study, no inferences regarding causality can be made. CONCLUSION: Sexual and/or physical abuse is common in youth with BP particularly in subjects with comorbid PTSD, psychosis, or CD. Prompt identification and treatment of these youth is warranted.”
Antiflea Pet Shampoos with Pyrethrin May Play a Role in Autism “Compared with mothers of typically developing children, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders were twice as likely to report that they had shampooed their pets with pyrethrin-containing antiflea/antitick shampoos around the time of their pregnancy, in a Californian case-control study that looked at household pesticide use.”
Breastfeeding and Child Cognitive Development (Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008) “Conclusion These results, based on the largest randomized trial ever conducted in the area of human lactation, provide strong evidence that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding improves children's cognitive development.”
Children more vulnerable to harmful effects of lead “Contrary to prevailing assumptions, children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead exposure at the age of 6 than they are in early childhood, according to a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center study to be presented May 4 at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Honolulu. “Although we typically worry about protecting toddlers from lead exposure, our study shows that parents and pediatricians should be just as, if not more concerned about lead exposure in school-aged children,” says Richard Hornung, Dr.P.H., a researcher in the division of general and community pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s and the study’s main author. The researchers found that blood lead concentrations (BPb) at age 6, compared to those at younger ages, are more strongly associated with IQ and reduced volume of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is involved in planning, complex thinking and moderating behavior.“
Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Healthy Infants and Toddlers (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008) “Conclusions Suboptimal vitamin D status is common among otherwise healthy young children. Predictors of vitamin D status vary in infants vs toddlers, information that is important to consider in the care of these young patients. One-third of vitamin D–deficient participants exhibited demineralization, highlighting the deleterious skeletal effects of this condition.”
Sedentary High School Girls Are At Significant Risk For Future Osteoporosis “"Most important and alarming is that 30 percent of the non athletes versus 16 percent of athletes were found to have low bone mineral density putting them at greater risk for developing osteoporosis earlier in life," says Dr. Hoch.”
Separation From Mom, Dad Linked With Learning Trouble In Kids “ "This study reminds us to treat any sort of separation as a marker for possible psychosocial stress in a family," Jee said. "And intervening early is the best way to minimize long-term educational -- and vocational -- deficits for these children."“
Sexual Harassment a Hurdle for Teen Girls
Sexual Harassment At School -- More Harmful Than Bullying “In the authors’ view, schools’ current focus on preventing bullying, as well as the tendency to regard sexual harassment as a form of bullying rather than an issue in its own right, draws attention away from a serious health issue. They argue that sexual harassment prevention should receive equal attention as a distinct focus, so that schools can continue to provide a healthy environment for children.”
Social Form Of Bullying Linked To Depression, Anxiety In Adults “Spreading rumors and gossiping may not cause bruises or black eyes, but the psychological consequences of this social type of bullying could linger into early adulthood, a new University of Florida study shows.”
Teen Stress at Home Lingers in School “Researchers found the negative effects of stress at home linger and affect teenagers' academic performance at school for up to two days. Meanwhile, stress over grades and other demands at school may also spill over into the home life of teens.”
[Indoor air quality in school facilities in Cassino (Italy).] (Ig Sanita Pubbl. 2008) “The various discomfort situations observed in both types of school buildings point toward a need for greater attention toward indoor air quality of schools as this can have affect students' attention, concentration, productivity and comfort.”
Infant iron deficiency may hinder emotional growth “Iron deficiency during the first year of life appears to adversely impact the social and emotional development of infants, and the presence or absence of anemia does not alter the impact, study findings suggest.”
Iron Supplements Harmful to Infants? “Researchers at the University of Michigan studied 494 children from Chile and found those given iron fortified formula as infants were less developed in their cognitive and visual-motor skills by age 10 than those who received low-iron formula.”
Kids with ADHD may be more likely to bully“A new study shows that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are almost four times as likely as others to be bullies. And, in an intriguing corollary, the children with ADHD symptoms were almost 10 times as likely as others to have been regular targets of bullies prior to the onset of those symptoms, according to the report in the February issue of the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. … The results underscore the importance of observing how kids with ADHD symptoms interact with their peers, says study co-author Dr. Anders Hjern, a professor in pediatric epidemiology at the University of Uppsala in Stockholm. These kids might be making life miserable for their fellow students. Or it might turn out that the attention problems they’re exhibiting could be related to the stress of being bullied. "You can't learn if you're being bullied, if every day you're frightened of how you're going to be treated," says William Pollack, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “
AUTISTIC SPECTRUM AND INCLUSION: Including pupils with autistic spectrum disorders in mainstream schools (Support for Learning 2008) “The number of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) being educated in mainstream schools is increasing. However, there is growing concern about their educational experiences. Research suggests that such pupils make easy targets for bullies, and are considered difficult to teach by teachers. Furthermore, pupils with ASD are more than 20 times more likely to be excluded from school than those without special educational needs. In light of such evidence, the aim of this article is to outline evidence-based strategies to facilitate the presence, participation, acceptance and achievement of pupils with ASD in mainstream settings. The strategies are presented thematically, as follows: (i) challenge stereotypes and raise expectations, (ii) create order from chaos, (iii) promote peer understanding, (iv) develop social skills, (v) adapt academic subjects, and (vi) modify conversational language. These strategies are not intended to be completely comprehensive – rather, they are starting points on a journey towards inclusion for those with ASD.”
Children Playing With Poison: Arsenic Exposure From CCA-treated Wood (Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 2008)
Cyberbullying: Another main type of bullying? (Scand J Psychol. 2008 ) “Four categories of cyberbullying (by text message, email, phone call and picture/video clip) were examined in relation to age and gender, perceived impact, telling others, and perception of adults becoming aware of such bullying. There was a significant incidence of cyberbullying in lower secondary schools, less in sixth-form colleges. Gender differences were few. The impact of cyberbullying was perceived as highly negative for picture/video clip bullying. Cybervictims most often chose to either tell their friends or no one at all about the cyberbullying, so adults may not be aware of cyberbullying, and (apart from picture/video clip bullying) this is how it was perceived by pupils.”
Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. (J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008) “RESULTS: Both studies found cyberbullying less frequent than traditional bullying, but appreciable, and reported more outside of school than inside. Phone call and text message bullying were most prevalent, with instant messaging bullying in the second study; their impact was perceived as comparable to traditional bullying. Mobile phone/video clip bullying, while rarer, was perceived to have more negative impact. Age and gender differences varied between the two studies. Study 1 found that most cyberbullying was done by one or a few students, usually from the same year group. It often just lasted about a week, but sometimes much longer. The second study found that being a cybervictim, but not a cyberbully, correlated with internet use; many cybervictims were traditional 'bully-victims'. Pupils recommended blocking/avoiding messages, and telling someone, as the best coping strategies; but many cybervictims had told nobody about it. CONCLUSIONS: Cyberbullying is an important new kind of bullying, with some different characteristics from traditional bullying. Much happens outside school. Implications for research and practical action are discussed.”
Do Teachers Bully Students?: Findings from a Survey of Students in an Alternative Education Setting (Education and Urban Society 2008) “Students need a strong, positive relationship with caring adults in school. Although the vast majority of adults in authority interact respectfully with students, some adults physically and psychologically bully students. This article examines the extent to which 50 alternative education students reported being victimized by teachers or other adults during their school career. Of respondents, 86% reported at least one incident of adult physical maltreatment in school and 88% reported at least one incident of adult psychological maltreatment in school. Almost twice as many students reported that an adult, rather than a peer, was involved in their worst school experience (64.4%), with several students indicating that their worst school experience involved being physically mistreated by an adult; half reported being upset by the experience "a lot." These findings indicate that students are being bullied by teachers to a surprising degree and in a wide range of destructive and harmful ways.”
Energy drinks not for children
Father-Child Transmission of Antisocial Behavior: The Moderating Role of Father's Presence in the Home. (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2008) “Conclusions: The present results suggest the transmission of antisociality from father to child is at least partially environmentally moderated.“
Global cognitive function in children with epilepsy: A community-based study (Epilepsia 2008) Discussion: Evidence of subnormal global cognitive function is apparent in approximately one of four children with epilepsy. Young age at onset, symptomatic cause, epileptic encephalopathy, and continued treatment, despite their strong intercorrelations, are independently associated with this outcome.
Identifying, Evaluating, Diagnosing, and Treating ADHD in Minority Youth (Journal of Attention Disorders 2008) “Untreated ADHD carries greater risk for substance abuse, impulsive behavior, and legal conflicts, whereas overdiagnosing and overtreating risk stigma associated with mental disorder, growth limitation, and tachycardia or hypertension. This dichotomy is even more perplexing for minority youth, many of whom are disadvantaged and lack access to care. Stressful living circumstances increase the likelihood a minority child will be diagnosed with ADHD (Barbarin & Soler, 1993). Fearing their child will be labeled, minority parents may hesitate to ask for help. … Cultural awareness during the assessment and history gathering is critical for the evaluation of minority youth. There are ADHD scales more appropriate for minority children. In addition, we are learning that children of diversity may not respond to all medications the same way Caucasian children do. The more we learn about genetic variations, the more we are likely to understand why medication alone is not effective in all cases and should not be considered the only treatment tool. Prosocial skills training, psychotherapy for the children, and support for the parents are all key if we want these children to truly succeed.”
Importance of Early Neglect for Childhood Aggression (PEDIATRICS 2008) “CONCLUSION. This longitudinal study suggests that child neglect in the first 2 years of life may be a more-important precursor of childhood aggression than later neglect or physical abuse at any age.“
Improving Preschoolers’ Skills “Researchers say playing numerical board games seems to be an effective and inexpensive way to improve preschoolers’ math skills and to help make more equal the numerical knowledge low-income and middle-income students bring to schools.”
Knockout head injuries found to cause loss of brain tissue “A blow to the head that knocks a person unconscious can result in widespread loss of brain tissue, Canadian researchers said on Monday, explaining why some people who suffer head injuries are never quite the same. The more severe the injury, the more brain tissue is lost, they said. "There is more damage and it is more widespread than we had expected," said Dr. Brian Levine of the Rotman Research Institute and the University of Toronto, whose study appears in the journal Neurology. Levine studied brain scans taken from 69 traumatic brain injury patients whose head injuries ranged from mild to moderate or severe. The researchers used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging or MRI to study changes in brain volume a year after the injury. “
Let's Work It Out: Helping Young Children Address Teasing and Bullying (ERIC 2008) “School is not a friendly, welcoming place for a child who is teased and bullied. A child who is worried about what's going to happen to her or him at school will have trouble concentrating, begin to dislike school, and may want to avoid going altogether. Children who are teased and bullied often develop physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomachaches. Emotionally, they can become sad, withdrawn, anxious, and depressed. In a classroom, teasing and bullying create a climate that makes it hard to teach and even harder to learn. However, by establishing a classroom environment that fosters respect, kindness, and cooperation, and by engaging in a proactive curriculum to prevent teasing and bullying, teachers can make school a friendly, welcoming place for all children.”
Link Between Antisocial Conduct And Decision Making About Aggressive Behavior In Teens “A new study challenges the idea that antisocial behavior is relatively unchangeable during the teenage years. The study, published in the March/April 2008 issue of the journal Child Development, found that decision making and behavior among adolescents are related across time, and that efforts to help may be more effective if they address how adolescents make decisions about acting aggressively.”
Methamphetamine Use In Pregnancy Damages Learning Ability Of Offspring, Study Suggests “Studies have suggested that infants exposed to methamphetamines while in the womb can suffer irreversible brain damage, although the exact effects of these drugs during pregnancy have been hard to pinpoint due to many other negative behaviors that often occur in meth users. … methamphetamine during pregnancy exhibit an impaired ability to distinguish novel objects from items they had seen before. This lack of recognition correlated with changes in the brain region, the hippocampus, associated with memory formation.”
Strategies to Prevent and Heal the Mental Anguish Caused by Cyberbullying (ERIC 2008) “Cyberbullying has moved bullying behaviors from the schoolyard to a worldwide audience. This exposure ensures that students receive the greatest humiliation possible both during and after school. Not surprisingly, research indicates that victims (who are often also bullies) suffer from mental health problems and lowered academic achievement (Hall, 2006; Reiff, 2006; Willard, 2007). The purpose of this article is to enlighten teachers, school administrators, and school counselors about this new technological danger, describe warning signs to help recognize both victims and perpetrators, and detail school- and home-based strategies for preventing cyberbullying and healing those affected by the phenomenon.”
Working Memory Has Limited 'Slots' “People who can store more information in working memory have higher levels of "fluid intelligence," the ability to solve novel problems, Luck said. Working memory is also important in keeping track of objects that are temporarily blocked from view, and it appears to be used when we need to recognize objects shown in unfamiliar views. Work by Lisa M. Oakes, another psychology professor at UC Davis and colleagues has shown that very young infants have fairly primitive working memory abilities. Between the ages of 6 and 10 months, however, they rapidly develop a much more adult-like working memory system. Outside the visual domain, working memory is used for storing alternatives or intermediate values, for example when adding a string of numbers together, Luck said. It also appears to play an important role in learning new words, perhaps by allowing the sound of a new word to remain active in the listener's brain until a long-term memory of the word can be formed. Luck compared the working memory system to the internal memory registers on a computer chip that allow it to make a series of calculations in between referring to the main memory. Our more familiar long-term memory, in contrast, can be used to store large quantities of information for long periods of time, but it is accessed much more slowly, like a computer's hard drive.“
A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly
Adolescents With Chronic Insomnia Report 'Twofold To Fivefold' Increase In Personal Problems
Children Who Bully Also Have Problems With Other Relationships “Bullying is a behavior that most children engage in at some point during their school years, according to the study. Almost a tenth (9.9 percent) of the students said they engaged in consistently high levels of bullying from elementary through high school. Some 13.4 percent said they bullied at relatively high levels in elementary school but dropped to almost no bullying by the end of high school. Some 35.1 percent of the children said they bullied peers at moderate levels. And 41.6 percent almost never reported bullying across the adolescent years. The study also found that children who bullied tended to be aggressive and lacking in a moral compass and they experienced a lot of conflict in their relationships with their parents. In addition, their relationships with friends also were marked by a lot of conflict, and they tended to associate with others who bullied. … "Interventions must focus on the children who bully, with attention to their aggressive behavior problems, social skills, and social problem-solving skills. A focus on the child alone is not sufficient. Bullying is a relationship problem that requires relationship solutions by focusing on the bullying children's strained relationships with parents and risky relationships with peers," according to Pepler. "By providing intensive and ongoing support starting in the elementary school years to this small group of youth who persistently bully, it may be possible to promote healthy relationships and prevent their 'career path' of bullying that leads to numerous social-emotional and relationship problems in adolescence and adulthood."“
Diesel Exhaust Exposure Early in Life Doubles Asthma Risk “Infants younger than 1 year who live within 400 m of a source of diesel exhaust have double the risk for persistent allergic wheeze by the age of 3 years than infants who live farther away. If the living environment also has a high risk for indoor allergens, this risk is more than 4-fold higher.”
Low Maternal Education Linked To Intellectual Disabilities In Offspring “The authors speculate that in addition to direct genetic effects, prenatally, maternal education may impact cognitive development through awareness and avoidance by the mother of certain risk behaviors and access to early and comprehensive prenatal care. Likewise, the authors theorize that, postnatally, low maternal education can influence mental development of the child through poor nutrition choices by the mother, less cognitive stimulation in the home environment, less knowledge of and access to early intervention services, and increases in childhood injuries.”
Maternal adiposity prior to pregnancy is associated with ADHD symptoms in offspring: evidence from three prospective pregnancy cohorts (International Journal of Obesity (2008)) “Conclusions: We show for the first time that pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with ADHD symptoms in children. Our results are of public health significance if the associations are causal and will then add ADHD symptoms in offspring to the list of deleterious outcomes related to overweight and obesity in the prenatal period.“
Neuropsychological Function in Adolescent Girls With Conduct Disorder. (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2008) “Results: Girls with CD had lower general intelligence and poorer performance on visuospatial, executive function, and academic achievement domains. After adjusting for demographic factors, scores in the CD group were worse for general intelligence and in the visuospatial and academic achievement domains.”
New Insights Into the Comorbidity Between ADHD and Major Depression in Adolescent and Young Adult Females. (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2008) Results: Females with ADHD had a 2.5 times higher risk for MD at adolescent follow-up compared with control females, adjusting for psychiatric comorbidity. MD in females with ADHD was associated with an earlier age at onset, greater than twice the duration, more severe depression-associated impairment, a higher rate of suicidality, and a greater likelihood of requiring psychiatric hospitalization than MD in control girls. Parental MD and proband mania were significant predictors of MD among females with ADHD, independently of other predictors.”
Pediatric allergic rhinitis: physical and mental complications. (Allergy Asthma Proc. 2008) “Under physical complications, otitis media with effusion, recurrent and/or chronic sinusitis, asthma, and snoring impact children with AR. Sleep disturbances, poor school performance, and hyperactivity are all mental complications seen in many children related to their nasal allergies. It is important for the clinician to take AR in the child seriously to prevent or control complications that can have a detrimental effect on the child.”
Pesticides may be hidden danger to child IQ “Household pesticides may cause some of the intellectual development problems in children previously associated with lead, an Australian toxicologist says. In a commentary available online in the journal Science of the Total Environment, Professor Brian Gulson says there is no question lead has a detrimental effect on children's intellectual development. But the Macquarie University researcher says several studies have shown similar effects in children exposed to low levels of organophosphate pesticides. “
Polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and neurodevelopment. (Curr Opin Pediatr. 2008) “SUMMARY: Exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls, dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane/dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene and hexachlorobenzene are likely detrimental to neurodevelopment. Effective control of exposure is complicated by variable exposure sources and variable contaminant levels in food, particularly fish, for which it is important to balance the risk of contaminants with nutritional benefits.”
Research on consequences: Hyperactive girls face problems as adults“"Our study suggests that girls with chronic hyperactivity and physical aggression in childhood should be targeted by intensive prevention programmes in elementary school, because they are more likely to have serious adjustment problems later in life,” cautioned Dr. Fontaine. “Programmes targeting only physical aggression may be missing a significant proportion of at-risk girls. In fact, our results suggest that targeting hyperactive behaviour will include the vast majority of aggressive girls.”“
Winners Do Not Punish: Punishment Does Not Earn Rewards Or Cooperation, Study Finds “"Put simply, winners don't punish," says co-author David G. Rand of Harvard's Program for Evolutionary Dynamics and Department of Systems Biology. "Punishment can lead to a downward spiral of retaliation, with destructive outcomes for everybody involved. The people with the highest total payoffs do not use costly punishment."“
Working Memory Deficits in Boys with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): The Contribution of Central Executive and Subsystem Processes. (J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2008)
Children with developmental language delay at 24 months of age: results of a diagnostic work-up. (Dev Med Child Neurol. 2008) “Though catch-up development is to be expected in a substantial proportion of 'late talkers', our data demonstrate that a general 'wait and see' approach is not justified in young children with LD. A proposal for a rational diagnostic work-up is presented.”
Children's Under-achievement Could Be Down To Poor Working Memory “Children who under-achieve at school may just have poor working memory rather than low intelligence according to researchers who have produced the world's first tool to assess memory capacity in the classroom. The researchers from Durham University, who surveyed over three thousand children, found that ten per cent of school children across all age ranges suffer from poor working memory seriously affecting their learning. … However, the researchers identified that poor working memory is rarely identified by teachers, who often describe children with this problem as inattentive or as having lower levels of intelligence. … Working memory is the ability to hold information in your head and manipulate it mentally. You use this mental workspace when adding up two numbers spoken to you by someone else without being able to use pen and paper or a calculator. Children at school need this memory on a daily basis for a variety of tasks such as following teachers' instructions or remembering sentences they have been asked to write down. … ‘Currently, children are not identified and assessed for working memory within a classroom setting. Early identification of these children will be a major step towards addressing under-achievement. It will mean teachers can adapt their methods to help the children's learning before they fall too far behind their peers.’“
Comorbidity of Psychiatric Disorders and Parental Psychiatric Disorder of ADHD Children. (J Atten Disord. 2008) “Discussion: The clinical sample of ADHD children typically had at least one other psychiatric disorder, usually oppositional defiant disorder in boys and anxiety disorders in girls. The most common psychiatric disorder in the parents was mood disorder.”
Depression: the symptoms in children are not like in adults “The signs of depression in infants are often screaming, restlessness, and weeping attacks for no clear reason. Preschool children may behave irritably and aggressively, while schoolchildren may be listless and apathetic. The symptoms in adolescents become similar to those in adults. … Depressive minors often exhibit other psychological abnormalities. Thus, anxiety disorders and disorders in social behavior occur widely, followed by substance abuse and aggression.”
Finnish Students Score High (video) “Finland's students are the brightest in the world, according to an international test. Teachers say extra playtime is one reason for the students' success.”
Hyperactive Girls More Likely to Have Adjustment Problems in Early Adulthood “Girls aged 6 to 12 years with high hyperactivity, particularly those with high physical aggression, should be targeted for intensive interventions, according to the results of a study reported in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. "The co-occurrence of hyperactivity and conduct problems in childhood seems to increase the risk of early adulthood adjustment problems in males," write Nathalie Fontaine, PhD, from University College London, London, United Kingdom, and colleagues. "However, little is known about this topic in females." … Compared with other girls, those on a trajectory of HH and HPA and those on a trajectory of HH alone were significantly more likely to report poor psychosocial outcomes at age 21 years. Compared with the other participants, only the girls in the HH-HPA group were significantly more likely to report intimate relationships characterized by physical and psychological aggression, early pregnancy, and welfare assistance at age 21 years.”
Impulsivity is associated with behavioral decision-making deficits. (Psychiatry Res. 2008)
Academic performance in children with rolandic epilepsy. (Dev Med Child Neurol. 2008) “Our findings suggest that seizure onset before age 8 years and epileptiform discharges (more than 50% of the sleep EEG recording) in several tracings over more than a year are relevant markers for identifying patients at risk of developing academic difficulties.”
Bariatric surgery in morbidly obese adolescents: A 4-year follow-up of ten patients. (Int J Pediatr Obes. 2008) “From a psychological perspective, the actual psychological condition was measured by five different psychological tests, e.g., 80% had a high score for depression, and 40% had negative self-acceptance. Discussion. The laparascopic gastric banding operation was not as effective in weight reduction as expected. We have to turn our attention to compliance, postoperative treatment and the psychological component.“
Blood Lead Concentrations < 10 mug/dL and Child Intelligence at 6 Years of Age. (Environ Health Perspect. 2008) “CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from this cohort indicates that children's intellectual functioning at 6 years of age is impaired by blood lead concentrations well below 10 mug/dL, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition of an elevated blood lead level.”
Bullying Victimization Study At University Of Denver “In skills instruction, students learned how to use social and interpersonal skills to decrease the likelihood of being bullied by classmates. They also were taught ways to stand up for themselves and others, and instruction in asking for help when confronted by a bully. The goal of the training was to teach students how to use these skills to stay out of trouble, build positive relationships, make good decisions, and avoid anti-social behavior. "Understanding the consequences of bullying from both a bully and a victim perspective is emphasized in training sessions," Jenson reports. "Our findings point to the importance of social and emotional skills in reducing bullying."”
Children Who Have An Active Father Figure Have Fewer Psychological And Behavioral Problems “Active father figures have a key role to play in reducing behaviour problems in boys and psychological problems in young women, according to a review published in the February issue of Acta Paediatrica.Swedish researchers also found that regular positive contact reduces criminal behaviour among children in low-income families and enhances cognitive skills like intelligence, reasoning and language development. Children who lived with both a mother and father figure also had less behavioural problems than those who just lived with their mother.”
Relationship of anger, stress, and coping with school connectedness in fourth-grade children. (J Sch Health. 2008) “Results: School connectedness was positively associated with social confidence and behavior control and negatively associated with trait anger, anger-out, and stress.”
Study: Spanking May Lead to Sexual Problems Later “Children whose parents spank them or otherwise inflict physical punishment may be more likely to have sexual problems later, according to research to be presented Thursday to the American Psychological Association. … Gershoff says that though many children have been spanked (85 percent in one 2007 survey), problems may depend on how they process the spanking. "They may internalize that to mean that in loving relationships sometimes there's pain or physical aggression," she says. Another possible lesson is that "whoever is stronger and has more power can overpower the other person and use physical aggression to control the other person's behavior." But linking sexual problems with spanking is a "big leap," says human-sexuality researcher John DeLamater of the University of Wisconsin. "It's probably one of many elements that might contribute to sex problems or risky sex, but it's a long leap." Most children who are spanked escape from long-term harm, says Straus, 81, a sociology professor who says he occasionally spanked his own children but later became a staunch critic of spanking. His work on violence in families is regarded as landmark research.“
Temper tantrums in healthy versus depressed and disruptive preschoolers: defining tantrum behaviors associated with clinical problems. (J Pediatr. 2008) “CONCLUSION: These findings provide preliminary guidelines to parents, teachers, and practitioners in identifying tantrum behaviors that may be markers of a psychiatric disorder and therefore require mental health referral.”
Ten Minutes Of Talking Improves Memory And Test Performance "The higher the level of participants' social interaction, researchers found, the better their cognitive functioning. This relationship was reliable for all age groups, from the youngest through the oldest. … "To our knowledge, this experiment represents the only causal evidence showing that social interaction directly affects memory and mental performance in a positive way.""
Long, Violent Childhood Tantrums Could Be Sign of Psychiatric Disorder “Consistently displaying aggressive or violent behavior during childhood tantrums, having long-lasting tantrums, engaging in self-injury during tantrums, and having difficulty recovering from such outbursts, are all possible red flags of a psychiatric disorder, a new study suggests. The research, published in the January issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, found that disruptive preschoolers aged approximately 3 to 6 years were more violent during tantrums and had significantly more tantrums at school and daycare than healthy preschoolers and preschoolers who are depressed. These disruptive youngsters also had more difficulty recovering from tantrums than their healthy counterparts.”
Maternal Prenatal Substance Use and Behavior Problems among Children in the U.S. (J Ment Health Policy Econ. 2007)
Safe to Learn: Embedding Anti-Bullying Work in Schools
Screening toddlers' language cuts special ed needs “The screening assessed how well the children could understand simple words and sentences, how well they could express what they needed, and how many words they knew for things like animals, food and toys. Children who scored relatively poorly were referred for further testing by a speech and hearing specialist and, if necessary, received language-skills therapy. “
Study Shows Better Parenting Skills Sharpen Minds of Kids in Poverty “Growing up poor has insidious effects on kids' mental abilities, beginning when they are very young. But there is new evidence that parents living in poverty can improve their children's chances for a better life by changing how they relate to them at home. … The parents learned to introduce "predictability where there were power struggles," Stevens says, and they were coached on how to converse with kids, "allowing the child a chance to contribute to and direct that communication experience. … It has been known for a long time that living in poverty damages children's intellectual abilities. Scientists have recently begun to understand why. It's not because of money, per se, and it's most certainly not a matter of being somehow inferior. It's the effect of unending stress and lack of proper social support. At a critical time in early childhood when the brain is developing, stress inhibits the formation of connections between brain cells and restricts blood flow to the brain. … Shonkoff argues that the importance of programs to aid poor children and their parents can't be underestimated because the effects last a lifetime. "The earlier we intervene, the better," Shonkoff says.”“
Close Ties Between Parents And Babies Yield Benefits For Preschoolers “Having close ties with parents is obviously good for preschoolers, but what does that really mean? It means that the preschoolers are better able to control their own behavior by showing patience, deliberation, restraint, and even maturity. That's the finding of a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa. … The researchers also explored how mutually responsive relationships between mothers and children worked. When mothers and babies develop this closeness in the first two years, the study found, mothers don't need to use forceful discipline later to get their children to do what they ask and refrain from other behaviors. And in turn, subtle control on the part of the mothers leads to better, more compliant, and more self-regulated behavior when the children are at preschool age.”
Conduct disorder in referred children and adolescents: clinical and therapeutic issues. (Compr Psychiatry. 2008) “RESULTS: Patients with prepubertal onset were younger at referral and had a poorer socioeconomic status. Their condition was more severe at the baseline, but their response to treatments did not differ from those with adolescent onset. Predatory and affective aggression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder comorbidity were higher in children with prepubertal-onset CD. Regarding to sex, females were older and had a lower socioeconomic status. Their condition was more severe at the baseline and presented higher scores in self-aggression, but they responded better to treatments. Rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were significantly lower in females, whereas other comorbidities (including substance abuse) were similar between sexes. Nonresponders to treatments received less frequently a psychosocial intervention, have more severe condition at the baseline, presented a more severe verbal and physical aggression, a lower affective/predatory index, and a higher rate of substance abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Age at onset and sex may be critical variables for prognosis of CD. Psychosocial intervention can significantly improve the treatment response.”
Co-transmission of conduct problems with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: familial evidence for a distinct disorder. (J Neural Transm. 2008) “Our finding that ADHD + CP can represent a familial distinct subtype possibly with a distinct genetic etiology is consistent with a high risk for cosegregation. Further, ADHD + CP can be a more severe disorder than ADHDonly with symptoms stable from childhood through adolescence. The findings provide partial support for the ICD-10 distinction between hyperkinetic disorder (F90.0) and hyperkinetic conduct disorder (F90.1).”
Dietary patterns of adolescents and risk of obesity and hypertension. (J Nutr. 2008)
Gesturing helps grade-schoolers solve math problems: Using the hands to explain things may tap into knowledge kids can’t otherwise articulate "Are math problems bugging your kids" Tell them to talk back – using their hands. Psychologists at the University of Chicago report that gesturing can help kids add new and correct problem-solving strategies to their mathematical repertoires. What’s more, when given later instruction, kids who are told to gesture are more likely to succeed on math problems. … The findings extend previous research that body movement not only helps people to express things they may not be able to verbally articulate, but actually to think better. At the same time, gesturing offers a potentially powerful new way to augment the teaching of math. Strategies for math problems have focused on externalizing working memory, such as writing things down in certain ways. However, children often find it hard to recall and use those strategies. Gesturing may be more accessible, and help break through the roadblock."
Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success “The tutors say their main focus is organizational skills because boys seem generally to have more difficulty getting organized and multitasking than girls do. … Some educators think the tutors are on the right track, whether or not there is science to back them up. “The guys just don’t seem to develop the skills that involve organization as early,” said Judith Kleinfeld, a psychology professor at the University of Alaska and founder of the Boys Project, a coalition of researchers, educators and parents to address boys’ problems. Mrs. Goldberg, Ms. Homayoun and other private tutors say boys must learn not only how to organize, but also how to manage their time and even how to study. “
Heavy Cell Phone Use Linked To Cancer, Study Suggests “Those who used a cell phone heavily on the side of the head where the tumor developed were found to have an increased risk of about 50% for developing a tumor of the main salivary gland (parotid), compared to those who did not use cell phones. The fact that the study was done on an Israeli population is significant. Says Sadetzki, "Unlike people in other countries, Israelis were quick to adopt cell phone technology and have continued to be exceptionally heavy users. Therefore, the amount of exposure to radiofrequency radiation found in this study has been higher than in previous cell phone studies. … Sadetzki predicts that, over time, the greatest effects will be found in heavy users and children. … She recommends that people use hands-free devices at all times, and when talking, hold the phone away from one's body. Less frequent calls, shorter in duration, should also have some preventative effect. While she appreciates the ease of communication that cell phones allow between parents and their children, Sadetzki says that parents need to consider at what age their children start using them. Parents should be vigilant about their children's using speakers or hands-free devices, and about limiting the number of calls and amount of time their children spend on the phone.“
Being Bullied as an Environmentally Mediated Contributing Factor to Children's Internalizing Problems (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008) “Bullying involves repeated hurtful actions between individuals where an imbalance of power exists.1 These types of social interactions, where it is difficult for the ones being bullied to defend themselves, are frequent among school-aged children. Evidence indicates that the experience of being bullied is associated with elevated anxiety, depression,2-3 social isolation,4 and suicidal thoughts.5 Bullying is of such concern that, for example, in the United Kingdom, a National Anti-Bullying Week has been launched to raise awareness and support school and mental health service efforts to reduce bullying behavior and its consequences. … The present study adds to a growing body of recent research suggesting that childhood victimization has an environmentally mediated effect on mental health outcomes. These studies suggest that childhood victimization experiences, including physical maltreatment,19 sexual abuse,20 and bullying victimization (the present study), constitute environmental risk factors associated with early-onset adjustment problems. Effective intervention and prevention strategies should aim at reducing violence in the environment of young victims to prevent future mental health problems. … Early-onset internalizing problems constitute an important developmental risk for later depression and anxiety disorders.29-30 The identification of early risk factors and a better understanding of how they affect school-aged children are key elements to preventing later mental health problems. Findings from this study suggest that, by reducing bullying behavior in schools and in communities and by designing programs to support victims of bullying, we may be able to decrease rates of childhood internalizing disorders and, possibly, later anxiety and depression disorders.”
Bullying and school safety. (J Pediatr. 2008)
Childhood weight tied to adult health problems “When it comes to waist circumference and body mass index (BMI), children who have above average measurements appear to be at increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome as adults. Conversely, children who are below average on these measurements, may have a life-long advantage because "they can safely be predicted not to develop the metabolic syndrome as adults," Dr. Shumei S. Sun told Reuters Health.“
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