Posted by: drmolly in genetic testing, autism on
Sep 01, 2010
Findings of a study published in the journal Nature revealed that children with autism are significantly more likely to have deletions of genetic material than children without autism. No single pattern of specific gene deletion rose to the surface, but looking at the autistic kids' DNA compared to otherwise healthy children of similar backgrounds revealed a variety of different genetic defects in the autistic group.
Although these findings
Posted by: drmolly in vaccines, autism on
Sep 01, 2010
In the June issue of the journal Pediatrics, a great study is published that reinforces the safety of receiving vaccines on schedule during the first year of life.
Children were divided into groups depending on whether they received their immunizations following the standard schedule (receiving multiple vaccines at each well-child visit) or on a delayed schedule (receiving vaccines fewer at a time, spread out over time). Seven-10 years later, the
My nurse, Robin, recently handed me an article she read about iPhone/iTouch apps for kids with special needs. It made me realize once again how amazing technology is. From apps that help parents negotiate the IEP process to an app called FastMall that allows parents with kids in wheelchairs find the most accessible routes through malls to medication trackers like Pillbox, there are fantastic apps available. Here are some of my favorites for kids
Posted by: drmolly in development, autism on
Aug 31, 2010
Every day I talk to parents about their infant's development. We talk about walking, eating, sleeping and most of all social interaction and speech and language skills. Every parent worries about autism and so does every doctor.
For now, we still don't have a definitive answer as to the cause of autism and that makes the condition even more frightening for parents and doctors alike.
I suspect there isn't a single root cause for autism but instead
Did you know that by the age of 3 children show huge differences in how many words they speak an hour depending on how much verbal interaction they have had with their parents and caregivers? Amazingly enough, long before preschool or Head Start Programs are even a possibility, children have such huge differences that the 20 percent of children who are uttering the fewest words per hour can't make up the difference even with intense
For years researchers, doctors and parents have been searching for strategies to help autistic children improve their socialization and language skills.
Many things have been tried based a variety of theories. Some theories purport that children with autism are less able to digest certain foods properly, including dairy and wheat, and a buildup of the by-products of this imperfect digestive process results in worsening of some symptoms of autism.
Posted by: drmolly in vaccines, autism on
May 12, 2009
This week autism is in the news again in a few interesting ways. First, a study funded by the National Institutes for Mental Health revealed that up to 10-20% of children who are diagnosed with autism by age 3 appear to have outgrown it by age 10. Many of these children have undergone intensive behavioral therapy called applied behavioral analysis and that is thought to be a factor in their recovery.
As if on cue, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Posted by: drmolly in website information, prevention, picky eater, nutrition, injury, illness, growth, food, feeding, exercise, development, calories, behavior, autism, attention on
Mar 15, 2009
As the techno-geek doctor I am, I love to offer families good Web-based resources for information. I have chosen the following sites because they are reliable, readable and useful. Enjoy surfing!
Nutrition and healthy eating information can be found on the FDA's new and improved nutrition site. You can learn about portion sizes, amounts of different foods your child needs, as well as strategies to help your underweight or overweight child.
Hemophilus influenzae type b is a wicked bacteria. It causes pneumonia, blood infections, meningitis and a type of throat infection called epiglottitis, all of which are life threatening and vaccine preventable.
In the very early 1990s, the HIB vaccine became available to combat this bacterium and it has been incredibly effective. When I was a med student in the late '80s and a resident in 1990, I saw four children die due to infection with
A special federal court on Thursday ruled against parents who claimed childhood vaccines had caused their children to develop autism. The "vaccine court" examined the evidence presented and concluded, "It was abundantly clear that the petitioners' theories of causation were speculative and unpersuasive."
Many families are confused with all of the information available on all ends of the spectrum. There are the Jenny McCarthys of the world who
