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DD and autism screening should be routine for all children seen in epilepsy clinics

Research presented today at the American Epilepsy Society's 65th annual meeting suggests that systematic screening for developmental delay (DD) and autism should be routine for all children seen in epilepsy clinics.

6 Dec 2011

Exposure to family violence may increase brain activity in children

Children exposed to family violence show the same pattern of activity in their brains as soldiers exposed to combat, new research has shown.

6 Dec 2011

S. Korea resumes aid through UNICEF to N. Korea

"South Korea said on Monday that it would send 6.5 billion won, or $5.7 million, in aid to North Korea through UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency," the New York Times reports.

6 Dec 2011

Epilepsy in children with ASD is photosensitive: Study

Epilepsy is common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A new study indicates their epilepsy is surprisingly photosensitive as well. Since photosensitive epilepsies can be triggered by flickering lights, the self-stimulatory behavior of ASD children, such as hand flapping in front of the face, has the potential to dramatically increase the risk of inducing photosensitive seizures.

6 Dec 2011

Study looks at how severely low birth weight impacts attention and memory during adulthood

Babies born at a very low birth weight are more likely to have memory and attention problems when they become adults than babies born at a low to normal weight, according to a study published in the December 6, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Dec 2011

Prenatal exposure to valproate may increase risk of autism in children

Investigators in a population-based study in Denmark reporting today at the American Epilepsy Society's 65th annual meeting have found there is an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder and childhood autism in children born of mothers who are exposed to the anticonvulsant valproate during pregnancy.

6 Dec 2011

Fetal exposure to valproate impairs IQ till age six

Researchers in the U.S. and U.K. are conducting an ongoing investigation of the cognitive effect of fetal exposure across four commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as part of an NIH-funded Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs (NEAD) Study. An early NEAD analysis found that fetal exposure to valproate impairs IQ at age three.

6 Dec 2011

Headaches after TBI more prevalent among adolescents, girls

More than half a million children in the U.S. sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year. Adults who suffer TBI often report headaches afterward, but little is known about how often children suffer headaches after similar injuries. In a significant new study, "Headache After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cohort Study," researchers analyzed the prevalence of headaches three and 12 months after mild, moderate or severe TBI in children ages 5 to 17, and discovered the risk of headache was higher in adolescents (ages 13 to 17) and in girls.

6 Dec 2011

Early stress of separation from biological parent impacts gene expression

Children who experience the stress of separation at birth from biological parents and are brought up in orphanages undergo biological consequences such as changes in their genome functioning, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study.

6 Dec 2011

New website helps raise awareness about childhood obesity

A new website has been launched to help raise awareness of work being done in the East Midlands region of the UK to tackle childhood obesity and to seek the views of parents and healthcare professionals.

6 Dec 2011

Child abuse can affect brain functions later life: Study

According to a new research from Yale University, teenagers who were abused as young children show changes in their brains that put them at risk for behavioral problems in adulthood.

6 Dec 2011

Tips to keep kids safe during cold-weather

Cold winds, icy rain and, in some places, snow—Old Man Winter has arrived. His entry reminds us to get our furnaces checked and winterize our car, but what about the kids? "Children are even more vulnerable than adults to cold-weather and winter-related injuries," said Dr. Karen Judy, pediatrician at Loyola University Health System and professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

6 Dec 2011

New research suggests that teenage texting of nude photos not so popular

Only 1 percent of kids aged 10 to 17 have shared images of themselves or others that involve explicit nudity, a nationally representative study found. Roughly the same number said they'd shared suggestive but less graphic photos; while 7 percent said they'd received either type of picture.

6 Dec 2011

Obesity maybe passed down from fathers to kids: Study

Australian researchers have found that the sperm of overweight fathers appears to carry a molecular signal that causes their offspring to inherit obesity. This may be more severe in female children and males they add.

5 Dec 2011

Low vitamin D levels associated with higher degrees of insulin resistance

A recent study of obese and non-obese children found that low vitamin D levels are significantly more prevalent in obese children and are associated with risk factors for type 2 diabetes. This study was accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

5 Dec 2011

New HRSA report: 14 to 19% of U.S. children have special health care need

In the first national report that compares the health and well-being of children with special health care needs to those children without, findings revealed that 14 to 19 percent of children in the United States have a special health care need, representing more than one in five households with children.

5 Dec 2011

Study shows new biochemical disturbances in the brains of children with ADHD

A new study at örebro University in Sweden shows that children with ADHD have nearly 50 percent less of a protein that is important for attention and learning. The finding may mean that there are other biochemical disturbances in the brains of individuals with ADHD than was previously believed.

5 Dec 2011

Scientists discover new candidate gene for Dravet syndrome

Dravet syndrome is a severe genetic epilepsy that appears early in life. About 75 percent of cases can be attributed to mutations in the SCN1A gene encoding the sodium channel NaV1.1. The remaining patients with this syndrome are without a definitive molecular genetic diagnosis. Research presented today at the American Epilepsy Society's 65th Annual Meeting has found a non-SCN1A candidate gene and suggests that Dravet syndrome may be caused by any one of a number of yet unidentified genes.

5 Dec 2011

Researchers identify ADHD gene variants involved in glutamate signaling

Pediatric researchers analyzing genetic influences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have found alterations in specific genes involved in important brain signaling pathways. The study raises the possibility that drugs acting on those pathways might offer a new treatment option for patients with ADHD who have those gene variants—potentially, half a million U.S. children.

5 Dec 2011

Study: 3D-TV may cause seizures in children and adolescents

Certain visual patterns and flashing images can provoke seizures in susceptible individuals, particularly among children and adolescents. Some media reports on the recent introduction of 3D-television sets suggest that this new technology may cause seizures in some viewers.

5 Dec 2011