Parents Daily News Roundup

Monday, November 12th, 2012

Study Tentatively Links Flu in Pregnancy and Autism
Kids whose mothers had the flu while pregnant were slightly more likely to be diagnosed with “infantile autism” before age three in a new study. But the children’s overall risk for the developmental disorder was not higher than that of other kids. (via Reuters)

Next-Day Discharge After C-Section May Be Okay: Study
Some women who deliver their babies by cesarean section may be able to check out of the hospital the next day without raising their risk of problems, according to a new study. (via Reuters)

Children’s Headaches Rarely Linked to Vision Problems
If your child gets recurring headaches and you think they might need glasses, you may be mistaken – a new study says children’s headaches are rarely triggered by vision problems. (via CNN)

Early Stress May Sensitize Girls’ Brains for Later Anxiety
High levels of family stress in infancy are linked to differences in everyday brain function and anxiety in teenage girls, according to new results of a long-running population study. (via ScienceDaily)

Cell Phone Use In Schools A Possibility With ‘Bring Your Own Technology’ Initiative
As schools try to add more technology during a time when they are receiving less funding, many will begin to consider allowing students to use devices they already own. That will include cellphones and electronic tablets like iPads. (via Huffington Post)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Thursday, August 9th, 2012

Clinical Trial Is Favorable for a Prenatal Gene Test
A new method of prenatal testing that can detect more genetic problems in a fetus than ever before could be headed toward wider use after encouraging results from a clinical trial, researchers say. The new technique surpassed standard testing in detecting chromosomal abnormalities, the study found. (via NY Times)

Fertility Treatments May Put Women At Risk for PTSD Symptoms, Study Suggests
Women who undergo fertility treatments may find the situation so distressing that they develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a new study says. In the study, close to 50 percent of participants met the official criteria for PTSD, meaning they could be diagnosed with the condition. (via MSNBC)

Diabetes and the Obesity Paradox
Type 2 diabetes, a condition widely thought of as a disease of the overweight and sedentary, also develops in people who aren’t overweight—and it may be more deadly. Scientists found those who were of normal weight around the time of their diagnoses were twice as likely to die within the same period. (via NY Times)

Boys Appear to Be More Vulnerable Than Girls to the Insecticide Chlorpyrifos
A new study found, at age 7, boys had greater difficulty working memory, a key component of IQ, than girls with similar prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos. Having nurturing parents improved working memory, especially in boys, though it didn’t lessen the negative effects of exposure. (via Science Daily)

Air Pollution Linked to Stillbirth Risk
Air pollution has been linked to a number of breathing problems, mainly in developing countries, and now a new preliminary study looking at pollution levels in New Jersey has found an increased risk of stillbirths among women exposed to certain pollutants. (via NBC News)

Stressed People Use Different Strategies and Brain Regions
Researchers have found stressed and non-stressed people use different brain regions and different strategies when learning. Non-stressed individuals applied a deliberate learning strategy, while stressed subjects relied more on their gut feeling. (via Science Daily)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

Assault: Children With Disabilities Are More Likely to Be Victims of Violence, Analysis Shows
Children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to be victims of violence than other children, according to a new report commissioned by the World Health Organization. The report, published in The Lancet on Thursday, found that disabled children were 3.6 times more likely to be physically assaulted and 2.9 times more likely to be sexually assaulted. (via NY Times)

Girls as Young as 6 Want to be ‘Sexy,’ Study Says
Most girls as young as 6 are already beginning to think of themselves as sex objects, according to a new study of elementary school-age kids in the Midwest. The study, published online July 6 in the journal Sex Roles, also identified factors that protect girls from objectifying themselves. (via MSNBC)

Women Beat Men on IQ Tests For First Time
New research is providing an answer to the age-old, delicate question: who is smarter, men or women? A new study has come down on the feminine side of that argument, finding that women now score higher on IQ tests than men. (via ABC News)

Tooth Fillings Made With BPA Tied to Behavior Issues
Kids who get dental fillings made using BPA are more likely to have behavior and emotional problems a few years later, according to a new study. (via Fox News)

Cord Blood Stem Cells Restore Toddler’s Hearing
Madeleine, 2, became the first child to undergo an experimental hearing loss treatment through an FDA-approved trial at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center that infused stem cells from her own banked cord blood into her damaged inner ear. Within the last six months, Connor says she’s seen a dramatic improvement in Madeleine’s ability to hear. (via Yahoo!)

Study Links Child Abuse to Home Foreclosures
Researchers found just under a 1 percent increase in the number of general physical abuse cases reported at 38 pediatric hospitals every year between 2000 and 2009 and a more than 3 percent rise in the number of traumatic brain injuries seen in babies. (via MSNBC)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Friday, July 13th, 2012

Obese Kids as Bright as Thinner Peers
Obesity is not to blame for poor educational performance, according to early findings from research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Researchers suggest that future research should focus on other determinants of poor educational outcomes. (via Science Daily)

Lawsuit Tries to Block New Arizona Abortion Law
A group of doctors and women’s rights advocates challenged Arizona’s new abortion limits in a federal lawsuit on Thursday. The Law, set to take effect on August 2, prohibits abortions once 20 weeks have passed since a woman’s last menstrual period. (via NY Times)

Doctors Use Hormones More Often Than They Prescribe Them
Doctors may be more willing to use hormone replacement therapy, or recommend it to their wives, than to prescribe it to their patients, a study of German gynecologists suggests. Nearly all were willing to recommend HRT for hot flashes, but not as often for other uses. (via MSNBC)

Childhood Trauma Linked to Adult Smoking for Girls
New research published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy explains how adverse childhood experiences can be tied up with adult smoking patterns, especially for women. Researchers suggest treatment and strategies to stop smoking need to take into account the psychological effects of childhood trauma. (via Science Daily)