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Chinese Scientists Identify Food Ingredient They Say Could Reverse Some Autism Symptoms
Scientists have identified a probiotic in dairy fermentation that may help alleviate and reverse some autism symptoms. Currently patients can only use antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants and anti-anxiety medications for treatments, but the new study suggests a natural method could be just as effective. The discovery was made using genetically modified mice that were prone to autism-like symptoms.
When modified, the mice exhibited symptoms of the disorder like a reduced interest in social interactions and an imbalance in the key neurotransmitters crucial for functions like learning, memory and cognitive processes. Researchers gave the animals a daily dose of the probiotic Lactobacillus murinus (a type of bacteria commonly found in dairy products like cheese and yogurt) for one month.
Following the experiment, the mice’s brains became more flexible and adaptable, which helped them learn and remember things better. The treatment also led to recovery of the intestines and other genes that are impacted by the disorder.
Radon Exposure Linked to Increased Asthma Symptoms in Children
A radioactive gas could be contributing to asthma among schoolkids, researchers have found. Children exposed to elevated levels of radon gas tended to have more asthma symptoms, results show. “Residential radon has not previously been described as an environmental risk factor for asthma,” a team led by Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul, director of immunology research with Boston Children’s Hospital, concluded.
“For the first time, we demonstrate a relationship between residential radon exposure and airway inflammation and asthma symptoms among school‐aged children with asthma,” researchers wrote recently in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that’s odorless and invisible, occurring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It emanates from the breakdown of trace amounts of uranium found in soil.
Children With Autism May See Speech Improvements With off-Label Prescription Drug
An off-label prescription drug has been shown to help some non-verbal children with autism discover the ability to speak. The drug, leucovorin, is a prescription vitamin that functions similarly to folic acid, helping to restore folate levels in patients who may have difficulty absorbing or using it, according to Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and the CEO and co-founder of Vitalize, a private supplement company.
“Leucovorin is FDA-approved to reduce the toxic effects of high-dose methotrexate in cancer treatment and to prevent or treat certain types of anemia caused by folate deficiency,” Dubinsky told Fox News Digital. While leucovorin isn’t prescribed for the treatment of autism, some families have found that its off-label use has led to significant improvements in autistic children’s communication skills, experts say.
Richard E. Frye, M.D., PhD, a behavioral child neurologist in Arizona, has studied the drug in his research of experimental treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder. “Leucovorin is a special form of vitamin B9 that is water-soluble and does not build up in your body,” he told Fox News Digital.
Speaking Multiple Languages May Benefit Children With Autism
Advanced Science News reported:
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the beneficial effects of multilingualism on autism symptoms in children are connected to improved executive functioning — a set of cognitive skills used in everyday tasks such as planning, problem solving, retaining information, and adapting to new situations.
“As a first-generation American, and the daughter of immigrant parents, my native language is deeply tied to my identity and family connections,” explained Celia Romero at the University of Miami and lead author of the study in an email. “I was shocked to learn that many families are advised against raising their [autistic] child in a bilingual environment, despite no evidence that bilingualism hinders cognitive or language development.”
Challenging these common misconceptions, Romero and her colleagues set out to investigate whether the “bilingual advantage,” the idea that being able to speak more than one language improves cognitive abilities, is true for children with autism.
“Our study found that children with [autism] who are exposed to multiple languages tend to have stronger executive function skills, including better control over their actions and greater ability to switch between tasks, compared to children with [autism] who speak only one language,” Romero said.
Every Hour Children Spend on Screens Raises Chance of Myopia, Study Finds
Every hour young people spend in front of screens increases their chance of being shortsighted, researchers have found, with experts warning young children should have limited use of devices and spend more time outdoors. Myopia is caused by having an over elongated eyeball and is a growing problem, with research suggesting about 40% of children and adolescents worldwide could have the condition by 2050.
While genetics play a role in who develops myopia, other factors that increase risk include not spending enough time outdoors and focusing on things that are close up for prolonged periods, which could explain why screen time has been associated with a higher risk and severity of myopia.
Now, researchers in Korea say they have shed fresh light on this relationship in an analysis of 45 studies, involving 335,524 participants, that looked at the use of digital screen devices such as mobile phones, game consoles and television.
Children With Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Face Increased Risk of Disease
Children with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) have an elevated risk of developing psychiatric and physical conditions, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Pediatrics reports. The study highlights the importance of early identification to improve care of these children.
People with ARFID avoid many foods due to sensory aversions to taste, consistency, smell or appearance. They can also experience a fear of negative consequences of eating, such as choking or vomiting. Many individuals also have poor appetite and lack interest in eating.
“The eating disorder has serious consequences, including malnutrition, weight loss and faltering growth, while some individuals may become overweight,” says the study’s last author Lisa Dinkler, assistant professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.
Early Sun Exposure Tied to Lower MS Relapse Risk in Children
Prenatal and early life sun exposure was associated with lower risk for relapse in children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), a new prospective cohort study showed.
At least 30 minutes of daily summer sun in the first year of life was associated with a lower risk for relapse in children who later developed MS than less exposure, investigators found. The same was true with daily prenatal exposure of at least 30 minutes during the second trimester.
“These novel findings suggest that sun exposure in early development may have long-lasting benefits on subsequent MS course, possibly through modulation of the immune response,” lead author Gina Chang, MD, MPH, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues wrote. The findings were published online on Feb. 12 in Neurology.
New York Accuses Popular Vape Brands of Fueling Public Health Crisis
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a sweeping lawsuit Thursday against several major e-cigarette companies, arguing that the distributors and manufacturers have caused a public health crisis by strategically marketing their products to young people.
The companies promoted “deceptive and misleading” messages about e-cigarettes’ safety despite knowing that their products post health risks to users, the lawsuit alleges. It also accuses the firms of flouting a 2020 state law banning flavored vapes, which studies have shown young people prefer.
“The vaping industry is taking a page out of Big Tobacco’s playbook: they’re making nicotine seem cool, getting kids hooked and creating a massive public health crisis in the process,” James said in a statement. “For too long, these companies have disregarded our laws in order to profit off of our young people.”
Docs Don’t Track Pregnancy Complications That Threaten Long-Term Health
Women who develop a complication like diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy are at higher risk of stroke or heart disease in the years after delivery.
Unfortunately, their doctors aren’t taking this health risk seriously enough, a new study suggests.
Fewer than 1 in 5 women (17%) diagnosed with gestational diabetes or high blood pressure received an adequate health screening in the year after pregnancy, researchers reported Feb. 17 in the journal Circulation.
Further, fewer than half (44%) of these at-risk women got such a screening within three years of their pregnancy. “Women should be aware of their risk for cardiovascular disease, so that they can ask their doctors about risk factor screening,” lead researcher Dr. Amy Yu, a neurologist and senior scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Ontario, Canada, said in a news release.
“Having this knowledge can also support patients’ decision-making about lifestyle changes, which could improve their vascular health,” she added.
