Auitsm & Bowel Disease

Suzanne, mom of an autistic child provides a comprehensive list of wonderful references on research relating to autism and bowel activity.

She writes: "I post this list for parents who tirelessly search for clues that might spare their children from the ravishes of Regressive Autism and its accompanying bowel diseases. Good luck and never surrender. You are not alone."

Here is the link http://autismmomrising.blogspot.com/2011/01/vast-list-of-research-on-autismimmune.html

January 13, 2011

Autism - Getting Past the Diagnosis

Usually the time immediately after the diagnosis is a difficult one for families, filled with confusion, anger and despair. These are normal feelings. But there is life after a diagnosis of autism. Life can be rewarding for a child with autism and all the people who have the privilege of knowing the child. While it isn't always easy, you can learn to help your child find the world an interesting and loving place.

Understanding Autism for Dummies (Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2006) by Dr. Stephen M. Shore and Linda G. Rastelli, MA, outlines the following 10 steps families should take after a diagnosis.

1. Learn and read as much as possible.
Although the glut of available information may seem overwhelming, the more you read and discover, the easier it will be to understand new information. However, always consider the source of any information you find. And do not focus exclusively on one intervention or therapy; no one treatment works for everyone. You need to find the right combination for your child.

2. Network with other families.
Families in similar situations often provide the most important support system of all. Get active in the autism community by attending support group meetings and conferences to meet other parents who are going through the same struggles and are happy to share their experiences. Visit ASA’s online database, Autism Source, for listings of parent support groups and other organizations.

3.Test, Test, Test.
Test your child early to get a baseline picture of where he or she is. A clear picture of your child’s biological condition provides a roadmap for treatment and therapies to follow. If you can’t afford all of the tests you need up front, prioritize them with your medical providers’ help.

4. Investigate sources of financial aid.
Autism can quickly exhaust your resources, but, fortunately, funding and assistance do exist. Financial aid is generally available at the county level for children under the age of 3 (you’ll need to apply for the Medicaid waiver). Also, keep good financial records, and avoid using the words “autism” or “PDD-NOS” with insurance companies, especially HMOs, as many exclude autism in their policies. If there is a biological abnormality that’s being treated, have the doctor code it as such.

5. Consider major lifestyle changes.
As autism treatment can seriously affect your financial resources, you may have to make major changes (such as changing your job or downsizing your home) or short-term sacrifices to allow for the funds you need to treat your child. Also, if you have a spouse or significant other, you need to establish a division of labor and responsibilities regarding the care of your child. Autism treatment takes sacrifice, but the hard work pays off. Many parents will tell you that the emotional rewards are much more lasting than any hobby or house can bring.

6. Set up an educational/behavioral program in your home.
If you can afford it, a structured one-on-one program focusing on education and behavior works for many children with autism. Make sure the program is reputable and that it shares your expectations and goals. You and your tutor/consultant should both sign a contract stating who is responsible for what.

7. Begin therapies.
You may be referred to other specialists for therapy, including speech, occupational and physical therapy. These therapies will help your child gain communication, social and physical skills. Insurance providers, including Medicaid, often cover the cost.

8. Address diet and nutrition.
Since dietary sensitivities affect many people with autism, consider trying special diets (such as wheat-free/dairy-free) for your child. Based on medical testing and your doctor’s recommendations, you should also start your child on vitamin/mineral supplements geared to his/her needs. Be sure to consult with a nutritionist and pediatrician with expertise in autism.

9. Don’t give up.
Attitude is everything! Try to be a morale booster for your family and your team of professionals. Educate doctors who are unfamiliar with autism and provide up-to-date information for those who can help. Be patient as many treatments and interventions take time to produce results. Most importantly, remember to laugh and have fun together as a family.

10. Get out and relax.
Make time for yourself. You must take care of yourself to be of any good to your child. Encourage your spouse/significant other to take time to recharge as well.

Autism - Screening & Screening Instruments

While there is no one behavioral or communications test that can detect autism, several screening instruments have been developed that are now being used in diagnosing autism:

CARS rating system (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), developed by Eric Schopler in the early 1970s, is based on observed behavior. Using a 15-point scale, professionals evaluate a child's relationship to people, body use, and adaptation to change, listening response, and verbal communication.

The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) is used to screen for autism at 18 months of age. It was developed by Simon Baron-Cohen in the early 1990s to see if autism could be detected in children as young as 18 months. The screening tool uses a short questionnaire with two sections: one prepared by the parents; the other by the child's family doctor or pediatrician.

The Autism Screening Questionnaire is a 40-item screening scale that has been used with children age four and older to help evaluate communication skills and social functioning

The Screening Test for Autism in Two-Year Olds is being developed by Wendy Stone at Vanderbilt and uses direct observations to study behavioral features in children under two. She has identified three skill areas that seem to indicate autism: play, motor imitation, and joint attention

Autism - Treatment Options

In an updated article on autism, the Autism Society of America, tells us that, finding that your child has an autism spectrum disorder can be an overwhelming experience. For some, the diagnosis may come as a complete surprise; others may have had suspicions and tried for months or years to get an accurate diagnosis. A diagnosis brings a variety of questions about how to proceed.

A generation ago, many people with autism were placed in institutions. Professionals were less educated about autism than they are today and specific services and supports were largely non-existent. Today the picture is much clearer. With appropriate services and supports, training, and information, children on the autism spectrum will grow, learn and flourish, even if at a different developmental rate than others.

They also mention that there are no cures for autism, but there are treatment and education approaches that may reduce some of the challenges associated with the condition. Intervention may help to lessen disruptive behaviors, and education can teach self-help skills that allow for greater independence. But just as there is no one symptom or behavior that identifies individuals with ASD, there is no single treatment that will be effective for all people on the spectrum.

Individuals can learn to function within the confines of ASD and use the positive aspects of their condition to their benefit, but treatment must begin as early as possible and be tailored to the child's unique strengths, weaknesses and needs.

Throughout the history of the ASA, parents and professionals have been confused by conflicting messages regarding what are and what are not appropriate treatment approaches for children and adults on the autism spectrum.

The purpose is to provide a general overview of a variety of available approaches, not specific treatment recommendations. The word "treatment" is used in a very limited sense. Typically used for children under 3, the approaches described here may be included in an educational program for older children also.

They continue to say, "Is critical to match a child's potential and specific needs with treatments or strategies that are likely to be effective in moving him/her closer to established goals and greatest potential. The ASA does not select one item from a list of available treatments. A search for appropriate treatment must be paired with the knowledge that all treatment approaches are not equal; what works for one will not work for all, and other options do not have to be excluded. Treatment plans should be chosen based on evaluations of strengths and weaknesses observed in the child."

Reference
Source: www.autism-society.org, Last updated: 23 January 2008
Author: Autism Society of America

Autism - Working with Professionals

It is important that parents and professionals work together for the child's benefit in dealing with autism. While professionals will use their experience and training to make recommendations about your child's treatment options, you have unique knowledge about your child needs and abilities that should be taken into account for a more individualized course of action.

Once an autism treatment program is in place, communication between parents and professionals is essential in following the child's progress. Here is some advice for working with professionals:

Be informed. Learn as much as you can about your child's disability so you can be an active participant in determining care. If you don't understand terms used by professionals, ask for clarification

Be prepared. Be prepared for meetings with doctors, therapists, and school personnel. Write down your questions and concerns, and then note the answers

Be organized. Many parents find it useful to keep a notebook detailing their autistic child's diagnosis and treatment, as well as meetings with professionals

Communicate. It's important to ensure open communication - both good and bad. If you don't agree with a professional's recommendation for your autistic child, speak up and say specifically why you don't

For more information on autism visit www.aap.org

Autism Diagnosis

A diagnosis brings a variety of questions about how to proceed

A generation ago, many people with autism were placed in institutions; professionals were less educated about autism than they are today and specific services and supports were largely non-existent. Today the picture is much clearer. With appropriate services and supports, training, and information, children on the autism spectrum will grow, learn and flourish, even if at a different developmental rate than others.

There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observation of the individual's communication, behavior and developmental levels. However, because many of the behaviors associated with autism are shared by other disorders, various medical tests may be ordered to rule out or identify other possible causes of the symptoms being exhibited.

See the diagram to have better understanding of the symptoms:

At first look, many people with autism may appear to have mental retardation, a behavior disorder, problems with hearing, or even odd and eccentric behavior. To complicate matters further, these conditions can co-occur with autism. However, it is important to distinguish autism from other conditions, since an accurate diagnosis and early identification can provide the basis for building an appropriate and effective educational and treatment program.

A brief observation in a single setting cannot present a true condition of an individual's abilities and behaviors. Parental (and other caregivers' and/or teachers’) input and developmental history are important components of making an accurate diagnosis.

• Why Early Identification is Critical
• Screening and Screening Instruments
• Who Makes a Diagnosis?/Diagnostic Tools
• Working with Professionals
• Getting Past the Diagnosis

For more information visit www.aap.org

How do I Know if my Baby has a Language Delay?

Delays in language are the most common types of developmental delay. 1 in 5 children will show a developmental delay in the speech or language area. Some children will also show behavioral challenges because they are frustrated when they can't express everyday needs, desires, or interests.

Simple speech delays are sometimes temporary. They may resolve on their own or with a little extra help from family. Sometimes formal speech therapy is needed.

It's important to encourage your baby to "talk" to you with gestures and/or sounds before filling a need. In some cases, your baby will need more help from a trained professional.

Sometimes delays may be a warning sign of a more serious disorder that could include a hearing loss, global developmental delays, or autism. Delays also could be a sign of a possible learning problem you may not notice until the school years. It's important to have your child evaluated for autism and other conditions if you are concerned about your child's language development.

Signs of a Language delay

Language skills begin long before the first spoken words. Your child starts to communicate with you during the first year of life. She may respond to you and the world around her with eye gazes, smiles, gestures, or sounds. Later on, you'll notice more obvious "speech" skills or milestones. While children develop at different rates, they usually are able to do certain things at certain ages.

If your child seems delayed or shows any of the following behaviors, tell your pediatrician. Also, tell your pediatrician if your baby stops talking or doing things that he used to do.

• Doesn't cuddle like other babies
• Doesn't return a happy smile back to you
• Doesn't seem to notice if you are in the room
• Doesn't seem to notice certain noises (for example, seems to hear a car horn or a cat's meow but not when you call his name)
• Acts as if he is in his own world
• Prefers to play alone; seems to "tune others out"
• Doesn't seem interested in or play with toys but likes to play with objects in the house
• Shows a strange attachment to hard objects (would rather carry around a flashlight or ballpoint pen than a stuffed animal or favorite blanket)
• Can say the ABCs, numbers, or words to TV jingles but can't ask for things he wants
• Doesn't seem to have any fear
• Doesn't seem to feel pain
• Laughs for no clear reason
• Uses words or phrases that are inappropriate for the situation

What your Pediatrician might do.

After you share your concerns with your pediatrician, he or she may:

• Ask you some questions, or ask you to fill out a questionnaire.
• Evaluate certain aspects of your child's development by interacting with your child in various ways.
• Order a hearing test and refer you to a speech and language therapist for testing. The therapist will evaluate your child's speech (expressive language) and ability to understand speech and gestures (receptive language).
• If your pediatrician doesn't seem to be concerned and instead tries to reassure you that children develop at different rates and that your child will "catch up in time," it's OK to say you are still concerned. You might also ask your pediatrician if a referral to a developmental specialist might be appropriate.
• If any of the steps above lead to the conclusion that expressive language ONLY is delayed, you may be given suggestions to help your child at home. Formal speech therapy may also be recommended.
• If BOTH receptive and expressive language are delayed and the hearing test is normal, your child will need further evaluation. This will determine whether the delays are due to a true communication disorder, global developmental delays, autism, or some other developmental problem.

When autism is the reason for language delays, the child will also show some or all of the above-listed behaviors. Most likely, your child will then be referred to a specialist or a team of specialists knowledgeable about autism and its many related disorders. The autism specialist(s) may then recommend speech therapy but also specific interventions to improve social skills, behavior, and the "desire" to communicate.

For more Information on autism visit www.aap.org

Parents explore Diet and Autism

Autism prevention? Dr. Robert Sears believes it's possible.......

For moms-to-be:

• Avoid vitamin D deficiency before, during and after pregnancy (if breast feeding).

• Avoid mercury. Moms-to-be should have metal fillings replaced at least three months prior to getting pregnant. Request mercury-free flu shots.

For infants:

• Limit antibiotics.

• Use ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) instead of acetaminophen (Tylenol).

• Ask for a vaccine schedule which gives no more than two shots at a time.

For infants who have autistic older siblings:

• Go GFCF from the start, including mom while she is pregnant and breastfeeding.

• Delay vaccines until your child is 3 years old; regressive autism is almost unheard of.

Gluten Free Casein Free DIET TIPS

• • • Go casein free first, because it usually involves only a few changes to the diet.

• • • Don't go cold turkey. Instead take a couple of weeks at a time to ease into changes of your child's diet.

• • • Determine how strict you need to be. Some kids can tolerate the occasional infraction.

• Don't go it alone. Find someone who can mentor you along.

Source: The Autism Book, by Dr. Robert Sears

RESOURCES
• www.tacklingautism.org
• www.theautismbook.com
• www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/

If you wish to read the whole article , read on ......

“Very nasty, very foul odor and full of undigested food particles,” said Houston resident Michelle Groogan of her then 18-month-old son's bowel movement. “It was the classic autism poop.”

Garrett was diagnosed with autism when he was 2, and Michelle Groogan began researching ways to ease her son's digestive issues, which she felt were autism-related. It wasn't long before she came across the Gluten Free Casein Free, or GFCF, diet.Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Casein is the protein in cow's milk, as well as all mammalian milk.

“It was very overwhelming,” Groogan said. “I mean, everything has gluten and dairy in it.”

Groogan said health food stores and grocery stores such as Whole Foods make it easier to find GFCF foods, but it comes with sticker shock. She spends about $75 a week on Garrett's food, the same amount she spends for food for the rest of the family. “We had nothing to lose by trying it,” Groogan said. “Within a few months we started seeing normal stools. When his digestive system was feeling better, we noticed he picked up more language.”

Garrett, now 6, has been on the diet for more than three years.

“It certainly hasn't healed him completely,” Groogan said, “But we're not ready to stop the diet any time soon.”

Katherine Loveland, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Center for Human Development Research at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, said the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement recently that said it's possible that kids with autism have some problems that are related to gastric disturbances, but they do not see evidence that this is a cause of autism.

“That does not mean it might not be important,” Loveland said. “The percentage of kids with autism that has gastrointestinal difficulties can be 10 percent or 70 percent depending whom you study and how you study them. So it's not clear how many of them have it, or how many are relieved of it through diet.”

Anecdotally, for some, the proof is in the pudding.

“The observer is biased,” Loveland said. “That's one possibility. Or it could be that the child did have some gastric distress, pain they were not able to report, and the child is now more comfortable day to day, and therefore feeling better, so behaving better. To put it simply, it's complicated.”

Sugar Land resident Scott Jackson said he heard about the diet after his son Tyler was diagnosed with autism when he was 2.

“It seemed to be the first question people asked when they found out about Tyler's diagnosis,” Jackson said. “We decided to give it a try because just like every family desperately looking for ways to help their child, we will try most things that can help, with or without proof.”

Tyler, now 5, spent about 10 weeks on the diet without any noticeable improvement, Jackson said.

Dr. Robert Sears, who will release The Autism Book in April, said any parent starting their child on the diet should give it a good six months, but children age 7 and older need at least a year.

Food allergies, Sears said, are the single most common medical problem shared by children with autism.

He devotes an entire chapter of the book to diet changes, in which he writes about the GFCF diet. He said one survey of 1,800 autistic children revealed 65 percent showed improvement on the diet.

He said chronic diarrhea resolves, first words emerge, hyperactivity diminishes, and potty training becomes easier. Sears said the diet works best in conjunction with supplements, including digestive enzymes, probiotics, cod liver oil, vitamins and minerals.

Sears relates the stories of five families from his own practice who have had some success with biomedical treatments, including dietary changes and the addition of vitamins and minerals.
The children Sears talks about include those with classic regressive autism, which means kids who are “completely normal” the first year or two, and then go backwards developmentally, sometimes suddenly and dramatically.

Sears drives homes the point by saying early intervention “can change a life.” He also says he has had cases of children who don't fit the classic story of regressive autism with gastrointestinal symptoms, but who still benefit from the GFCF diet. One such patient didn't have constipation or diarrhea and didn't regress socially or developmentally, but was quite developmentally delayed. The child was diagnosed with autism, and Sears said he showed improvement after going on the GFCF diet, and adding vitamin B12 and zinc.

Sears wraps up his book with a chapter titled “Prevention for Your Future Children.”
“I know it's controversial to talk about prevention of autism when we don't actually know what the cause is,” Sears said. “Where I'm coming from is that a lot of similar medical problems seem to occur in kids with autism, and that when we fix those medical problems, the symptoms of the autism tend to get better. One of the main ones is food allergies. Identify food allergies early by taking colicky babies and chronic, loose stools seriously.”

Source:
Feb. 17, 2010,
www.chron.com

What is Autism?

Finding that your child has an autism spectrum disorder can be an overwhelming experience. For some, the diagnosis may come as a complete surprise; others may have had suspicions and tried for months or years to get an accurate diagnosis.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, usually impact the development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills.

Both children and adults with autism normally show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”

Source:
www.aap.org

Who Makes a Diagnosis / Diagnostic Tools

Whether you, parent or your child's pediatrician is the first to suspect autism, your child will need to be referred to someone who specializes in diagnosing autism spectrum disorders. This may be a developmental pediatrician, a psychiatrist or psychologist, and other professionals that are better able to observe and test your child in specific areas

Who Makes a Diagnosis / Diagnostic Tools

Whether you, parent or your child's pediatrician is the first to suspect autism, your child will need to be referred to someone who specializes in diagnosing autism spectrum disorders. This may be a developmental pediatrician, a psychiatrist or psychologist, and other professionals that are better able to observe and test your child in specific areas

This multidisciplinary assessment team may include some or all of the following professionals:

• Developmental pediatrician - Treats health problems of children with developmental delays or handicaps.
• Child psychiatrist - A medical doctor who may be involved in the initial diagnosis. He/she can also prescribe medication and provide help in behavior, emotional adjustment and social relationships.
• Clinical psychologist - Specializes in understanding the nature and impact of developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders. May perform psychological and assessment tests, as well as help with behavior modification and social skills training
• Occupational therapist - Focuses on practical, self-help skills that will aid in daily living, such as dressing and eating. May also work on sensory integration, coordination of movement, and fine motor skills
• Physical therapist - Helps to improve the use of bones, muscles, joints, and nerves to develop muscle strength, coordination and motor skills.
• Speech/language therapist - Involved in the improvement of communication skills, including speech and language
• Social worker - May provide counseling services or act as case manager helping to arrange services and treatments

Why Early Identification for Autism is Critical

Autism Information Now

Some research indicates that early identification of Autistic symptoms is associated with dramatically better outcomes for individuals suffering with autism. The earlier a child is diagnosed, the earlier the child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention approaches to treatment and education of autism.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for autism by their family pediatrician twice by the age of 2, at 18 months and again at 24 months.

The AAP also recommends that treatment be started when an autism diagnosis is suspected rather than waiting for a formal diagnosis. Go to http://www.aap.org/ to see the complete list of recommendations. The advantages of early intervention regarding autism cannot be overemphasized. Children who receive intensive therapy can make tremendous strides in their overall functioning and go on to lead productive lives.

Child Obesity

Treatment is an unnecessary option when you could prevent child obesity. Prevention focuses basically on parent education. In infancy, parent education ought to center on breastfeeding, recognition of signals of satiety, and delayed introduction of solid foods.

In early childhood, focus education on proper nutrition, selection of low-fat snacks, good eating habits (good balance of vegetables & fruit, proteins & GOOD fats) good exercise/activity habits, and monitoring of television viewing.

In cases where preventive measures cannot totally overcome the influence of hereditary factors, parent can focus on building self-esteem and address psychological issues.

Child Obesity, Soda & Sweet Drinks

The consumption of sweetened drinks which includes sodas, juice and other beverages such as Kool-Aid and sports drinks, has been on the rise in the past decades. At the same time, the prevalence of obesity in children also has risen.

Don't drink your calories. Soda, fruit juice (even 100 percent juice), whole or 2 percent milk, sports drinks, Kool-Aid and other sweetened beverages all contain a lot of calories. What's worse, they do little to fill you up and provide little or no nutritional benefit.

You may not know that . . .
A 12-ounce glass of orange juice contains 180 calories, which is the same as eating three chocolate-chip cookies.

Drinking just one 12-ounce can of soda every day for a year is equal to 55,000 calories or 15 pounds a year.

Juice ... Not as Healthy as Fruit

Many people think of juice as an essential part of a child's diet. However, juice isn't as healthy as people think.

Drinking a lot of juice makes younger children feel full quickly. Feeling full from juice will decrease the amount of food a child eats. For older children, drinking a lot of juice doesn't usually cause fullness and the excess calories from juice can result in weight gain.

It's much healthier to eat the fruit rather than drink the juice. For example, a 12-ounce glass of orange juice, which is the juice of two to three oranges, has about 180 calories . But eating one orange is only 80 or 90 calories and it does more to fill you up.

For children who are overweight, the basic recommendation is no juice.

Sodas ... Liquid Sugar

Sodas and other sweetened drinks are full of sugar such as high-fructose corn syrup. Many sodas also contain caffeine, which is a diuretic that can cause dehydration. Another problem with sweetened soda and other beverages is that the body doesn't register it's full after drinking hundreds of calories. This may have to do with ghrelin, the hormone in your stomach that lets you know when you're hungry. When the hormone increases, you are hungry.

When you eat, the hormone goes down. However, it only works with food, not liquid. Drinking soda, juice, sports drinks and other sugar-sweetened liquids does nothing for your hunger, even if you consume hundreds of calories. As a result, sugar-sweetened soda & beverages are often wasted calories.

In other words, the human digestive system is not designed for drinking calories. Soda is a relatively recent addition to the human diet. Soda was introduced in the second half of the 19th century and there was not an obesity problem until the 20th century. When looking at obesity in the United States alongside fructose and soft drink and soda consumption, they are on a parallel line.

How Bad Is Soda Really?
To fully understand the impact of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, consider how the extra calories from these drinks translates into pounds. Remember that 1 pound of fat equals 3,500 calories.

If a child drinks one soda and two glasses of Kool-Aid each day, they are consuming roughly:

150 calories for the glass of soda
240 calories for two glass of Kool-Aid (120 calories each glass)
TOTAL: 390 calories a day

The one soda and two glasses of Kool-Aid equals 390 calories each day.
If a child drinks one soda and two glasses of Kool-Aid each day for one year, they're consuming:

• 142,000 calories a year
• 390 calories a day for 365 days in a year = 142,000 calories

Since 1 pound equals 3,500 calories:

• 142,000 calories at 3,500 calories per pound = 40 pounds

That means 142,000 calories over a year is 40 pounds of weight a year.

What seemed like a harmless glass of soda and two glasses of Kool-Aid a day is equal to roughly 40 pounds of weight gain over a year. Children rarely burn all of these extra calories through exercise and activity. Even if a child only has one soda a day, it leads to 15.6 pounds of weight a year.

What Can You Do?
The best thing for children and their parents is to limit or eliminate drinking juice, soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Instead of soda, juice and other sweetened beverages, your child should drink water. Water has everything you need and nothing you don't. The benefits of water include the following:

• Quenches your thirst
• Has no added sodium to make you thirstier
• Has zero calories

In addition to water, children can drink nonfat milk and beverages with little or no sodium and five or less calories per serving, such as:

• Sparkling water, without sugar added
• low-calorie beverages like Crystal Light consumed occasionally as a treat

Remember: children should consume 2-4 servings of calcium-rich foods a day like non-fat or 1% milk.

Reference
Source: www.ucsfhealth.org, Last updated May 8, 2007

Childhood Obesity in America

According to the World Health Organization , the rate of childhood obesity has tripled since 1966. They also say that 80% of obese children will carry that trend into adulthood. Obese children see higher incidences of type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, and poor self-esteem.

Breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and many children survive on a diet low in nutrition and heavy on fast food. Physical education programs in schools have been pushed aside to make room for more academic classes.

The television and video games have replaced outdoor playtime. A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 26% of children in the United States watched at least 4 hours of television daily. They also noted that these children were far less likely to participate in physical activity.
Parents can prevent children from becoming overweight. Feed children a diet of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks and make sure they are physically active daily.

Get out there with your kids and play. Sports like soccer, football, baseball and tennis also allow kids to stay fit. Many busy parents enroll their kids in children’s gyms. While some provide aerobics classes and child size fitness equipment like treadmills, others offer active playtime and gymnastic style classes. Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit and Gamercize get kids off of the couch and on their feet.

Make sure to keep current on all well child visits and don’t be afraid to voice any concerns you may have about your child’s weight.

Reference:
Source: www.who.int/en

Common Habits of Overweight Kids

Children who are overweight have some common habits. They have been practicing bad health habits for a number of years.

Here are seven typical habits of overweight children:

• Never exercise ~ try to get the children to play 1-2 hours 2-3 times per week.
• Eating out more than 2 times per week~ restaurant portions are often huge and cooked with lots of oil. If children eat out, make sure to take at least half home!
• Always say 'yes' to seconds ~ Don’t encourage saying 'yes' to a request for a second portion until you wait about 20 minutes to decide if they are full enough from the first helping.
• Avoid Light Activity ~ make an effort to encourage children to take the stairs, get outside and walk.
• Always say 'yes' to sweets ~ when children crave something sweet, suggest fruit or at least only a little bit of candy, but don't encourage eating dessert just because it's there.
• Eating without feeling hungry ~children often eat to satisfy emotional needs, so find other ways to brighten their mood besides food.
• Skipping meals ~ skipping meals can lead to overeating later in the day so be sure that they eat several small meals throughout the day.

Consequences of Childhood Obesity

Childhood overweight is associated with various health-related consequences. Overweight children and adolescents may experience immediate health consequences and may be at risk for weight-related health problems in adulthood.

Psychosocial Risks
Some consequences of childhood and adolescent overweight are psychosocial. Overweight children and adolescents are targets of early and systematic social discrimination.39 the psychological stress of social stigmatization can cause low self-esteem which, in turn, can hinder academic and social functioning, and persist into adulthood.

Cardiovascular Disease Risks
Overweight children and teens have been found to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and abnormal glucose tolerance.39 in a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, almost 60% of overweight children had at least one CVD risk factor while 25 percent of overweight children had two or more CVD risk factors.

Additional Health Risks
Less common health conditions associated with increased weight include asthma, hepatic steatosis, and sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes.

Asthma is a disease of the lungs in which the airways become blocked or narrowed causing breathing difficulty. Studies have identified an association between childhood overweight and asthma.

Hepatic steatosis is the fatty degeneration of the liver caused by a high concentration of liver enzymes. Weight reduction causes liver enzymes to normalize.

Sleep apnea is a less common complication of overweight for children and adolescents. Sleep apnea is a sleep-associated breathing disorder defined as the cessation of breathing during sleep that lasts for at least 10 seconds. Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring and labored breathing. During sleep apnea, oxygen levels in the blood can fall dramatically. One study estimated that sleep apnea occurs in about 7% of overweight children.

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being reported among children and adolescents who are overweight. While diabetes and glucose intolerance, a precursor of diabetes, are common health effects of adult obesity, only in recent years has Type 2 diabetes begun to emerge as a health-related problem among children and adolescents. Onset of diabetes in children and adolescents can result in advanced complications such as CVD and kidney failure.

Defining Obesity in Children & Adolescents

Do you know that 5% - 25% of children and teenagers in the United States are obese?
(Dietz, 1983).

As with adults, the prevalence of obesity in the young varies by ethnic group:
It is estimated that 5-7 percent of White and Black children are obese,
while 12 percent of Hispanic boys and 19 percent of Hispanic girls are obese
(Office of Maternal and Child Health, 1989).

Some data indicates that obesity among children is on the rise.
The second National Children and Youth Fitness Study found 6-9 year olds to have thicker skinfolds than their counterparts in the 1960s.
(Ross & Pate, 1987).

During the same period, others documented a 54% increase in the prevalence of obesity among 6-11 year olds
(Gortmaker, Dietz, Sobol, & Wehler, 1987).

Obesity is known as an excessive accumulation of body fat.
Obesity is present when total body weight is more than 25% fat in boys and more than 32% fat in girls
(Lohman, 1987).

Although childhood obesity is often defined as a weight-for-height in excess of 120% of the ideal, skinfold measures are more accurate determinants of fatness
(Dietz, 1983; Lohman, 1987).

A trained technician may obtain skinfold measures relatively easily in either a school or clinical setting. The triceps alone, triceps and subscapular, triceps and calf, and calf alone have been used with children and adolescents.

When the triceps and calf are used, a sum of skinfolds of 10-25mm is considered optimal for boys, and 16-30mm is optimal for girls
(Lohman, 1987).

Prevention of Childhood Obesity

Treatment is an unnecessary option when you could prevent child obesity.

Prevention focuses basically on parent education.

In infancy, parent education should center on:

• breastfeeding,
• recognition of signals of satiety, and
• delayed introduction of solid foods.

In early childhood, education should include:

• proper nutrition,
• selection of low-fat snacks,
• good eating habits (good balance; vegetables-fruit-proteins)
• good exercise/activity habits, and
• monitoring of television viewing.

In cases where preventive measures cannot totally overcome the influence of hereditary factors,
parent should focus on building self-esteem and address psychological issues.

Teens Lose Weight before it’s too Late !

Health issues arising from obesity is already known to vast majority of people. Unfortunately, due to changes is the phase of the modern day lifestyle, statistics show that 15 % of children aging 6 to 19 years of age are overweight (children and teens). What caused the change compared to the last generation? It is hard to determine the real culprit behind child obesity today.

More synthetic diets and fast living contributed a lot in the degradation of quality eating habits of children. Harsh economic conditions push women to enter in the working world. They are no longer fully in charge of the diet of the family unlike in the 60’s. Actually this has nothing to do with a woman preparing the meal, but it is all about how much a mother would put extra effort in keeping the health of the family at best.

Children today live a sedentary lifestyle facing the TV, computer and video games without the guiding busy parents. A busy family with no time to do domestic task would let money feed their stomach. There is enough money to spend for the services of restaurants that pay no special concern other than getting their menus consumed.

The way of making recipes tasty are either achieved by adding more oil and other harsh additives, which are not supposedly a big part of the daily diet. The influx of easy meals available around every corner are either fried or dredged with rich dressings. There is no more time to give it a second look.

With the situation, there is no doubt the picture of obese teens marks the proof of the reality. Before it’s too late, something has to be done. In close to impossible situations, weight loss programs specifically for teens have to be sought.

It starts by a comprehensive visit to a professional who will determine the factors affecting the teen’s weight problem. It will be easy for a doctor to diagnose how much weight has to be shed off by doing calculations of the mass body index ration.

Actually anybody who has an understanding of this can easily determine his or her weight versus height. This has nothing to do whether you only appear thin or fat by other’s opinion, the doctor will make sure to know how long the program has to be followed. The major ailments accompanying obesity will be given priority like rise and fall of blood sugar, blood pressure, heart condition and blood circulation.

Weight loss program for teen will also deal with the psychological aspects on how the teen can cope with its process. In this case, families are encouraged not to inflict discriminating attitude towards the plight of an obese teen. After all, it’s partly the family’s concern and lifestyle, which contributed to the weight problem itself.

A program has to be followed to develop the habit of eating properly that goes along with healthy activities and daily routines. There has to be exercise and movements instead of continuous confinement at home during non-school days.

Formal and expensive weight loss program for teen may be an option for a family, but it may not be needed if the child’s excess weight is manageable. Well-informed families can take do their own way of diet program approved and consulted to a doctor.

Reference:
Source: http://your-knowledge-portal.com/blog/?p=13, october 25th, 2008

The Problem of Obesity

Obese infants do not always become obese children, and obese children do not always become obese adults. However, the occurrence of obesity increases with age among both males and females (Lohman, 1987), and there is a greater.

Chance that obesity beginning even in early childhood will continue through the life span (Epstein, Wing, Koeske, & Valoski, 1987).

Obesity presents several problems for the child. In addition to elevating the risk of obesity in adulthood, childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, and is associated with Type II diabetes mellitus, increases the risk of coronary heart disease, increases stress on the weight-bearing joints, lowers self-esteem, and affects relationships with peers. Some authorities believe that social and psychological problems are the most important consequences of obesity in children.

Causes of Childhood Obesity
As with adult-onset obesity, childhood obesity has several causes centering around on an imbalance between energy in (calories obtained from food) and energy out (calories expended in the basal metabolic rate and physical activity). Childhood obesity most likely results from an interaction of nutritional, psychological, familial, and physiological factors.

The Family
The risk of children becoming obese is greatest for those who have two obese parents (Dietz, 1983). This may be because of powerful genetic factors or parental modeling of both eating and exercise behaviors, indirectly affecting the child's energy balance. One half of parents of elementary school children never exercise vigorously (Ross & Pate, 1987).

Low-energy Expenditure
The average American child spends several hours every day watching television; time which in previous years might have been devoted to physical activities. Obesity is greater among children and adolescents who frequently watch television (Dietz & Gortmaker, 1985), not only because little energy is expended while viewing but also because of concurrent consumption of high-calorie snacks. Only about one-third of elementary children have daily physical education, and less than one-fifth have extracurricular physical activity programs at their schools (Ross & Pate, 1987).

Heredity
Not all children who eat unhealthy foods, watch several hours of television every day, and are normally inactive develop obesity, the search continues for alternative causes. Heredity has recently been shown to influence fatness, regional fat distribution, and response to overfeeding (Bouchard et al., 1990).

In addition, infants born to overweight mothers have been found to be less active and to gain more weight by age three months when compared with infants of normal weight mothers, suggesting a possible inborn drive to conserve energy (Roberts, Savage, Coward, Chew, & Lucas, 1988).

Treatment of Childhood Obesity

According to Eric Digest, obesity treatment programs for children and adolescents rarely have weight loss as a goal. Rather, the aim is to slow or halt weight gain so the child will grow into his or her body weight over a period of months to years. Dietz (1983) estimates that for every 20 percent excess of ideal body weight, the child will need one and one-half years of weight maintenance to attain ideal body weight.

He also mentions that early and appropriate intervention is particularly valuable. There is considerable evidence that childhood eating and exercise habits are more easily modified than adult habits (Wolf, Cohen, Rosenfeld, 1985). Three forms of intervention include:

Physical Activity

Eric continues to say that adopting a formal exercise program, or simply becoming more active, is valuable to burn fat, increase energy expenditure, and maintain lost weight. Most studies of children have not shown exercise to be a successful strategy for weight loss unless coupled with another intervention, such as nutrition education or behavior modification (Wolf et al., 1985).

However, exercise has additional health benefits. Even when children's body weight and fatness did not change following 50 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week, blood lipid profiles and blood pressure did improve (Becque, Katch, Rocchini, Marks, & Moorehead, 1988).

Diet Management

Fasting or extreme caloric restriction is not advisable for children. Not only is this approach psychologically stressful, but it may adversely affect growth and the child's perception of "normal" eating.

Balanced diets with moderate caloric restriction, especially reduced dietary fat, have been used successfully in treating obesity (Dietz, 1983). Nutrition education may be necessary. Diet management coupled with exercise is an effective treatment for childhood obesity (Wolf et al., 1985).

Behavior Modification
He continues to say that many behavioral strategies used with adults have been successfully applied to children and adolescents: self-monitoring and recording food intake and physical activity, slowing the rate of eating, limiting the time and place of eating, and using rewards and incentives for desirable behaviors.

Particularly effective are behaviorally based treatments that include parents (Epstein et al., 1987). Graves, Meyers, and Clark (1988) used problem-solving exercises in a parent-child behavioral program and found children in the problem-solving group, but not those in the behavioral treatment-only group, significantly reduced percent overweight and maintained reduced weight for six months. Problem-solving training involved identifying possible weight-control problems and, as a group, discussing solutions.

Reference:
Source: www.kidsource.com, posted on 1990
Author: Eric Digest

Preschoolers Love Vegetables with Catchy Names

A Cornell University study shows that giving vegetables catchy new names – like X-Ray Vision Carrots and Tomato Bursts – left preschoolers asking for more.

When 186 four-year olds were given carrots called "X-ray Vision Carrots" ate nearly twice as much as they did on the lunch days when they were simply labeled as "carrots." The Robert Wood Johnson-funded study also showed the influence of these names might persist. Children continued to eat about 50% more carrots even on the days when they were no longer labeled. The new findings were presented on Monday at the annual meeting of the School Nutrition Association in Washington DC.

"Cool names can make for cool foods," says lead author Brian Wansink. "Whether it be 'power peas' or 'dinosaur broccoli trees,' giving a food a fun name makes kids think it will be more fun to eat. And it seems to keep working – even the next day," said Wansink.

Similar results have been found with adults. A restaurant study showed that when the Seafood Filet was changed to "Succulent Italian Seafood Filet," sales increased by 28% and taste rating increased by 12%. "Same food, but different expectations, and a different experience," said Wansink, author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Eat More Than We Think."

Although the study was conducted in pre-schools, the researchers believe the same naming tricks can work with children. "I've been using this with my kids," said researcher Collin Payne, "Whatever sparks their imagination seems to spark their appetite."

ScienceDaily (Mar. 4, 2009)

Probiotic Prevents Infections in Children

Six hundred thirty-eight children (aged 3–6 years) attending day care or schools in the Washington, DC, area were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, a fermented dairy drink containing Lactobacillus or a placebo drink with no live cultures for 90 days.

The incidence of common infectious diseases, for example, respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections was 19% lower in the active-treatment group than in the placebo group.

Probiotics are bacteria or yeast organisms that may have beneficial effects on human physiology and health. Probiotic organisms are believed to work in part by enhancing digestion and immune function, by competing with pathogenic microorganisms for binding sites on mucosal surfaces, and by producing chemicals that inactivate or kill pathogens. The results of the present study indicate that administration of a specific probiotic organism prevented infections in young children.

Source:
www.townsendletter.com
December 2010

Probiotic for Infantile Colic

Fifty breast-fed infants with colic were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 17 938 or placebo for 3 weeks.

A positive reaction was defined as a decrease in daily crying time of at least fifty percent from baseline.

After 3 weeks, the proportion of Infants who showed a positive response was significantly higher in the active-treatment group than in the placebo group (96% vs. 72%; p < 0.04). Active treatment was also considerably more successful than placebo after 1 & 2 weeks of treatment.

During the study, there was a significant increase in fecal lactobacilli and a significant reduction in fecal Escherichia coli and ammonia in the active-treatment group, but not in the placebo group. No adverse effects were reported.

Source:
www.townsendletter.com
29 March 2011