Mental Health Concerns Are Prevalent in Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Study Finds Over 1/3 of Children with NDCs Had Mental Health Needs, Females Reported Increased Internalizing Symptoms Compared to Males Researchers from Australia recently set out to evaluate mental health concerns in children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) who were attending their first developmental assessment at a publicly-funded diagnostic assessment service. In total, their study included […]
Investigating the Fever Effect on Children with Autism
New Finding Shows Kids Exposed to Maternal Immune Activation and Later GI Dysfunction May Experience Behavioral Improvements During Fever Episodes Israeli scientists recently set out to investigate the intriguing fever effect phenomenon that some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display. When neurotypical people develop a fever, they typically feel achy, tired, and grumpy. However, […]
Children with Autism Are More Likely to Be Diagnosed with Psychiatric Comorbidities
Anxiety Disorder Developed in Late Childhood Can Lead to Subsequent Psychiatric Conditions A longitudinal follow-up study examining the mental health of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has recently been published in Journal of Affective Disorders. The authors used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to analyze records of 13,382 children and […]
CDC Reports: 1 in 36 American Children Have Autism
4% of Boys and 1% of Girls Aged 8 Years Now Have the Disorder The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just released its latest prevalence rate estimates for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The CDC reports that 1 in 36 or 2.8% of American 8-year-olds has an autism diagnosis. This rate is a […]
New ADDM Report Shows 11.6% of Kids with ASD Are Diagnosed After Age 8
Children of Hispanic Heritage Are More Likely to Receive a Late Diagnosis The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently released their first autism spectrum disorder (ASD) surveillance report focusing exclusively on adolescents. This research investigated diagnostic patterns, co-occurring conditions, and transition planning for 8–16-year-olds on the spectrum. The report used longitudinal population-based […]
Zebrafish Study Shows a Well-Functioning Gut-Brain Connection Is Needed for Social Development
Research Focuses on Gut Microbes and Synaptic Pruning in the Brain University of Oregon researchers recently published a study that is the first to demonstrate that microglia are required for pruning neural connections in zebrafish larvae. This study also showed that an intact microbiota is necessary for routine pruning and typical fish social behavior. Additionally, […]
