Calif. bill would make it harder to opt out of vaccine requirements

From CNN (6/5):


A bill in California would require parents to receive counseling from a physician before they could opt out of vaccinating their children. Dr. Richard Pan, the legislator who introduced the bill, said the measure could make it more difficult to bypass vaccine requirements. Many physicians attribute increases in diseases like measles and Pertussis to the recent trend away from immunizing children due to unfounded parental fears.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/04/health/california-vaccination-opt-out/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Obstructive sleep apnea negatively affects youth behavior

From DoctorsLounge.com/HealthDay News (6/12):

A study of 263 youths with persistent and/or current sleep disordered breathing showed higher risks and greater impairment in behavior and adaptive functioning scales. The findings were presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting.

ADHD drug prescriptions have risen in U.S., FDA reports

From The Washington Post/On Parenting blog (6/18):

The pediatric use of prescription attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drugs increased by 46% between 2002 and 2010, FDA researchers wrote in the journal Pediatrics. Meanwhile, they noted that overall prescriptions for antibiotics and cough medications declined during the study period.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-parenting/post/adhd-prescriptions-to-children-have-spiked-amid-growing-concerns-of-abuse/2012/06/14/gJQASQSAdV_blog.html

EEG Case Study

A stable pattern of EEG spectral coherence distinguishes children with autism from neuro-typical controls - a large case control study

by Frank H Duffy and Heidelise Als

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/64/abstract

Low prenatal intake of folic acid may increase autism risk

From The Hartford Courant (Conn.)/Reuters (6/6):

Mothers of children with autism reported getting less folic acid through fortified foods and supplements during early pregnancy than mothers of children without autism, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers noted that taking at least 600 micrograms of folic acid daily in the initial month of pregnancy reduced the risk of autism or Asperger's syndrome by 38%.

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aaaa/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=45307335-2057-40BB-94BD-AE0617D1948C&copyid=8F033DCA-3C00-4872-8B0F-64886A0547E3&ref=facebook8F033DCA-3C00-4872-8B0F-64886A0547E3

CDC vaccines for children might have been improperly stored

From: MedPage Today (free registration) (6/6)

Some of the CDC's free vaccines for children might have been stored at inappropriate temperatures in provider offices, according to a report from the Office of the Inspector General. However, the AAP said the vaccines "were not found to be unsafe, and revaccination of children is not needed."

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Vaccines/33123

CT scans raise children's risk for brain cancer, leukemia

From HealthImaging.com (6/6):

Children who received two to three CT scans of the head had a threefold increased risk of developing brain cancer later in life, while five to 10 scans raised the risk of leukemia threefold, U.K. researchers reported in The Lancet. However, they said that the absolute risk of developing cancer is small and that the immediate benefits of CT scans outweigh the long-term cancer risks.

http://www.healthimaging.com/index.php?option=com_articles&view=article&id=34244%3Alancet-childhood-cts-may-triple-risk-of-some-cancers-but-keep-concerns-in-check