Wednesday, March 28, 2012

High vitamin D intake may reduce girls' risk of stress fractures

From  Los Angeles Times (3/5):

Girls with the highest vitamin D intake had a 50% reduced risk of having a stress fracture compared with girls with the lowest intake, a study of 6,721 girls ages 9 to 15 found. The findings were published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-vitamin-d-20120305,0,3021595.story

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Study shows concussions may cause lingering symptoms in children

From Reuters (3/5):

Children who suffered a concussion were more likely to have somatic and cognitive symptoms, compared with children with other types of injuries, according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. An estimated 10% to 15% of children who experienced loss of consciousness still had cognitive problems for months after the injury, the lead researcher said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/05/us-kids-concussions-idUSTRE8241TQ20120305

Upcoming Events


Upcoming Events – Lectures by Dr. Nancy H. O’Hara
  • March 28th 7-9pm – Norwalk City Hall Comm. Room – Part of the Norwalk SPED Partners FREE Workshop Series
    • Our Canaries: Why all the Asthma, Allergies, ADHD and Autism?
    •  
  • April 26-29th - Autism Research Institute Conference – Newark, NJ
    • April 26th 2-3:30pm - Level 2 Practitioner Seminar: Targeted Immune Assessment and Treatment in ASD / PANDAS
    • April 26th 3:45-5:30pm - Level 2 Practitioner Seminar: Comprehensive Case Management I
    • April 27th 4:15-5:00pm - Parent Lecture: How to Get The Most Out of Your Practitioner

Also...

  • “ADHD Without Drugs” – Article by Dr. Szakacs and Dr. O’Hara in the April Issue of Natural Nutmeg Magazine

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Survey reveals key challenges facing families seeking Autism care

MedClaims Liaison, Autism Speaks Survey reveals key insurance reimbursement challenges facing families seeking Autism care.

http://www.autismvotes.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=frKNI3PCImE&b=3930723&ct=11640661
 
If you are struggling with your insurance company for reimbursement, check out our friends at MedClaims Liaison (www.medclaimsliaison.com).
 

Monday, March 19, 2012

Research ties learning disabilities, cadmium exposure in children

From WebMD (1/27):

Children ages 6 to 15 who had the highest cadmium levels in their urine were more likely to develop learning disabilities or require special education than those with the lowest levels, a study found. In the journal Environmental Health Perspective, researchers reported that cadmium levels were not associated with the risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

http://children.webmd.com/news/20120127/study-links-cadmium-exposure-learning-disabilities-kids

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Exercise Might Boost Kids' Academic Ability

From: Yahoo!/HealthDay News (3/12)

Children's processing speed increased by 9% following a form of academic activity and 10% after engaging in physical activity, but only 4% with both, Italian researchers reported in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The study also found mental activity boosted concentration skills by 13%, physical activity by 10% and both by 2%.

http://news.yahoo.com/exercise-might-boost-kids-academic-ability-160208165.html;_ylt=AkG_rJfJvSEDXzvlIiq4FOGPscB_;_ylu=X3oDMTNoOXA0bGRmBG1pdAMEcGtnA2QyZjQ1YmQ1LWQ4MDAtMzVhYi05NTYwLWE1OTliMDdhMzA1NARwb3MDMQRzZWMDbG5fUGFyZW50aW5nX2dhbAR2ZXIDNDYzYjBmNTAtNmM5OC0xMWUxLThiZmQtMjQ1YmYyNzA3YjA4;_ylv=3

Sunday, March 11, 2012

New study finds arsenic in infant formula, cereal bars - organic brown rice syrup as a sweetener

From Consumer Reports (2/16):

Arsenic has been found in some foods that use organic brown rice syrup as a sweetener, including infant formula and cereal bars, according to a new study by researchers at Dartmouth College. The majority of the detected arsenic, a contaminant often found in rice, was the type that is known to be a human carcinogen.

http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2012/02/new-study-finds-arsenic-in-infant-formula-cereal-bars.html

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

TAKE ACTION!

TAKE ACTION!

From the Autism Action Coalition:

First Bill to Stop the DSM-V. Get One in Your State

Take Action! http://capwiz.com/a-champ/issues/alert/?alertid=61066986&queueid=%5Bcapwiz%3Aqueue_id%5D

Protect your Child's Education, Healthcare, Services

Last week we said we’re not gonna take the self-appointed “experts” at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) putting our kids hard fought access to a free and appropriate education, health care, Medicaid and vitally needed services on the line because they think they have cooked up a better definition of autism. This week we are proud to announce that the Autism Action Network has been successful in our effort to introduce the first legislation in the US that puts the brakes on the APA’s self-serving drive to throw our kids lives into chaos. Assemblymember Tom Abinanti (D-Greenburgh) of New York has introduced Assembly Bill A 9180, which will define “autism” under New York state law as the currently used criteria set out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IVr (DSM-IVr), the definition that has been in use since 1994.

If we can do it in New York you can do it in your state. Please click on the Take Action link to send your state legislators a copy of A 9180 and ask them to introduce similar legislation in your state.

Autism Action Network has been warning for two years about the potential for huge disruption that would come from the DSM-V, and our fears were confirmed a couple of weeks ago when the Child Study Center at Yale announced that their analysis of the DSM-V autism criteria would result in 55% of people with autism losing their current diagnosis. Imagine what insurance companies could do with that. Imagine what a school district that wants to put your child into a completely inappropriate setting could do. Never mind the fact that the redefinition will completely invalidate the comparability of any epidemiology and provide the foundation for another twenty years of claims that “we just aren’t sure if the autism rate is really going up.” And to date the APA has been unable to come up with a single reason of how this would benefit anybody with autism in anyway.


Your child’s education, healthcare and services are on the line. This is the most serious threat facing the autism community and the only way we can stop it is if you get active.

Monday, March 5, 2012

GARDISIL VACCINE

WE DO NOT AS YET RECOMMEND THE GARDISIL VACCINE FOR TEENAGE BOYS OR GIRLS
From Reuters (2/27):  AAP policy statement recommends HPV shots for boys
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/27/us-hpv-shot-recommendation-boys-idUSTRE81Q0NZ20120227