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Fruit juice not healthy for kids (or grownups)
Consumption of 100% Fruit Juice and Body Weight in Children and Adults A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis; JAMA Pediatrics, Jan. 16, 2024.
Based on a literature review, a Canadian-U.S. research team reported that just one serving per day of 100% fruit juice caused children to gain weight.
Their conclusions were based on 42 studies appearing in MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases through May 18, 2023. Included prospective cohort (observational) studies had to be six months or longer in duration and randomized clinical studies at least two weeks long.
Seventeen pediatric studies (all observational) involved 45,851 children (median age 8), and 25 adult studies (observational or controlled) involved 268,095 adults (median age 48).
Based on the pediatric studies, each serving per day of 100% fruit juice was associated with a body mass index (BMI) increase of 0.03. Correcting for fruit juice as a percentage of total daily caloric intake did not change the results.
For adults, the six observation studies showed slight weight gains but the formal clinical trials did not.
Researchers hypothesized that the effects of drinking fruit juice among the very young might increase their desire for sweet foods and fuel further weight gain later in life.
Using developmental data to predict autism
Early Prediction of Autistic Spectrum Disorder Using Developmental Surveillance Data; JAMA Network Open, Jan. 10, 2024.
Childhood development data from large populations can help predict an eventual diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with the same reliability as the standard 20-item Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) 20-item ASD questionnaire, according to Israeli researchers.
The study involved first establishing the connection between ASD and behavior in one group of children, and applying those findings to a second group.
The researchers enrolled 1.2 million Israeli children from birth to age 6 whose physical development was tracked for at least four years at health clinics between 2014 and early 2023. Children born prematurely were excluded.
First, from 80% of subjects, researchers extracted demographic and birth-related data, growth measurements, developmental milestone achievement and factors related to the visit — for example, whether it was a routine checkup or for an illness. They trained their diagnosis model with that data and used the modelto predict ASD in the remaining 20% of subjects.
Conclusion: “ASD can be predicted from routine developmental surveillance data at an accuracy surpassing M-CHAT screening.”
Media exposure linked to over- and under-responsive behaviors
Early-Life Digital Media Experiences and Development of Atypical Sensory Processing; JAMA Pediatrics, Jan. 8, 2024.
U.S. researchers have uncovered a link between a child’s exposure to video devices and televisions and later deficits in sensory processing — how they respond to the world around them — at 12, 18 and 24 months old.
Based on data from 1,471 children (50% male) enrolled in the National Children’s Study between 2011 and 2014, the researchers found that regular screen exposure at 12 months doubled the risk of a child eventually falling into the category of “low registration,” or slower-than-normal response to stimuli.
Exposure at 18 months increased the risk of sensation avoiding and low registration, both by 23%. Exposure at 24 months increased sensation avoiding by 21%, sensation seeking by 20% and sensory sensitivity by 25%. All results were statistically significant.
Atypical sensory processing is a hallmark sign of ASD and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Ear infections raise language deficit risk
Early otitis media puts children at risk for later auditory and language deficits; International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, vol. 176, January 2024.
Temporary hearing loss is a typical parent’s main concern when a child develops otitis media — inner ear infection — but a University of Florida study suggests a longer-term problem: delayed language development.
Researchers recruited 49 children with and 68 without “significant histories” of ear infections, ages 5-10 years, and compared the two groups for language processing and development.
Children who had experienced multiple ear infections before age 3 recognized fewer words and had greater difficulty matching similar-sounding words. These deficits were related to issues in the auditory cortex — the brain’s language-processing center.
“Ear infections are so common that we tend to dismiss them as having no long-term effect. We should take all ear infections seriously,” said lead author Susan Nittrouer, Ph.D., in a University of Florida press release. “Parents should be aware that their child may have some middle ear fluid without it being painful and work with their doctor to monitor their child closely.”
Pediatrician group critical of GMO foods
Use of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)-Containing Food Products in Children; Pediatrics, Dec. 11, 2023.
Based on environmental, sustainability, economic and health considerations the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition urged caution in the use of GMO foods for children.
The committee’s main argument was not the uncertain health consequences of unnatural engineered nutrients but the potential for dangerous exposure to the chemical herbicide glyphosate.
The study authors also discussed the effects of GMOs on the environment, sustainability and economic considerations.
The farm industry’s interest in genetic modification is based almost entirely on crops genetically altered to survive the application of herbicides that survive harvest and processing. The crops are found, in varying quantities, in the 10 staple GMO crops grown in the U.S.
Glyphosate application has increased dramatically since the debut of GMO crops.
In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that glyphosate was “probably carcinogenic to humans” and that two other herbicides, 2,4-D and dicamba, were “possibly carcinogenic.”
