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Mothers' poor health revealed in new study

Sleep deprived new mothers are doing it tough, but getting help from early parenting centres improves their mental health, according to a new report.

7 Apr 2005

Working mothers do not effect their child's social and intellectual development

Working mothers in the United States can relax. Their kids might still get into Harvard. A study from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found no differences in children's social and intellectual development during the first three years of life between those whose mothers spent a lot of time with them in infancy and those whose mothers spent less time because they worked outside the home.

29 Mar 2005

Study links colic, maternal depression to family problems

Some families with new babies face excessive infant crying, or colic. And some new mothers go through maternal post-partum depression (PPD) following childbirth. Neither situation is considered healthy, but a recent study published in the Infant Mental Health Journal has found that the combined impact of colic and PPD can have a highly toxic outcome. Researchers have linked colicky babies and maternal depression to decrease in overall family functioning.

29 Mar 2005

Violent imagery can have a substantial short-term effect on young children, increasing aggressive behaviour

Violent imagery in the media can have a substantial short-term effect on young children’s arousal, thoughts and emotions, increasing the likelihood of aggressive or fearful behaviour, concludes a review published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

20 Feb 2005

Dialogue instead of lecture best when advising teens about alcohol

Parents can more effectively advise teens about alcohol and drug use if, first, they try dialogue instead of lecture and, second, they set an everyday example, rather than give the one-time drug sermon, according to a Penn State researcher.

13 Feb 2005

State policies decrease youth smoking, drinking, sex

State policies, such as taxing the sale of cigarettes and alcohol, decrease teenage smoking and drinking, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

3 Feb 2005

Conduct disorder and alcoholism in teens

While teenagers who drink also tend to have behavior problems, there is more of a genetic basis to their conduct than there is to the lure of alcohol, a new study on 14-year-old Finnish twins reports.

30 Dec 2004

Demands for equal treatment between divorced parents may not be fair for the children

As thousands of divorced and separated parents decide where their children will spend this Christmas, an ESRC-funded study into post divorce family life shows that fairness and equality between fathers and mothers may end up being unfair on the youngsters.

20 Dec 2004

Smacking legislation is unworkable for doctors

The recent Commons' decision not to outlaw the physical punishment of children means that the law will offer its most vulnerable citizens (children) less protection from assault than is offered to adults, says an editorial in this week's BMJ.

18 Nov 2004

Prenatal alcohol exposure has effects far beyond fetal alcohol syndrome

Numerous studies have documented IQ deficits in children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Little research, however, has found IQ deficits in children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), who generally exhibit less severe neurobehavioral deficits than children with FAS.

14 Nov 2004

Immigrant mothers from Japan and South America knew less about child development than their European American counterparts

Groups of immigrant mothers from Japan and South America knew less about child development than did their European American counterparts, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

2 Nov 2004

Innovative guide for Moms, Kids with ADD

Unlike other ADD parenting guides, "When Moms and Kids Have ADD" is ADD- friendly. Bold topic headings, bulleted lists, clear print, eye-catching graphics and summaries make the guide easy for an ADD parent to read.

26 Oct 2004

Treating childhood sexual abuse

Women with a history of childhood sexual abuse take many years to report what happened – but derive benefit from one-on-one therapy as adults.

25 Oct 2004

Australian Medical Association backs Labor’s commitment to focus on mental health

Dr Choong-Siew Yong, Psychiatrist and Chair of the AMA’s Public Health and Ethics Committee, today welcomed Labor’s commitment to focus on mental health as a national health priority

28 Sep 2004

Grandparents play a key role in the lives of a large proportion of British children

Information was collected from 8752 families in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) on grandparent involvement when children were aged eight, 15 and 24 months.

27 Sep 2004

Babies born to cocaine users fared better when cared for by people who were not their parents

Babies born to cocaine users fared better socially, emotionally and intellectually if they were cared for during their first two years by people who were not their parents, says a new study.

9 Sep 2004

ADHD children four times more likely to have mental health problems when they grow up

Many normal children display low levels of the traits associated with ADHD – behaving in an impulsive, inattentive, and restless fashion – which will not cause problems.

8 Sep 2004

Are parents of children with ADHD good at parenting?

Are parents of children with ADHD good at parenting? It is generally thought that ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children is compounded by poor parenting skills, and much research evidence exists to support this view.

8 Sep 2004

Girls play truant more than boys

New research published by the University of Edinburgh reveals that there is a substantial difference in levels of serious delinquency between boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 15.

18 Aug 2004

Growing up ain't like it used to be

Today, adulthood no longer begins when adolescence ends. In the bridge to adulthood, also referred to as early adulthood, many more young people are caught between the demands of employment and economic dependence on their family to support them during this transition.

3 Aug 2004