Stutter
study
Late nights and lax bedtime routines can blunt young children’s minds. The
findings on sleep patterns and brain power come from a UK study of more
than 11,000 seven-year-olds. Kids who had no regular bedtime or who went
to bed later than 9pm had lower scores for reading and maths. Lack of sleep
may disrupt natural body rhythms and impair how well the brain learns new
information, say the researchers. But they also say it’s possible that inconsistent
bedtimes were a reflection of chaotic family settings and it was this, rather than
disrupted sleep, that had an impact on cognitive performance in children.
source:
BBC News
Stuttering may be more common than
previously thought, but pre-school
stutterers also fare better than first thought,
according to a new study. A study of more
than 1,600 children, which followed them
from infancy to four years old, found the
cumulative incidence of stuttering by four
years old was 11 per cent – more than
twice what has previously been reported.
However, the study refutes the long-
held view that suggests developmental
stuttering is associated with a range of
poorer outcomes in the pre-school period.
Interestingly, the study found the reverse
was true, with stuttering associated with
better language development and non-
verbal skills, with no identifiable effect on
the child’s mental health or temperament
at four years old.
source:
MedicalXpress
October 2013
19
finger on
the pulse
Sleep
matters
Similar
traits
Dip dip
hooray!
Kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are 20 times more likely
to exhibit some traits of autism – such as slow language development, difficulty
interacting with others and problems with emotional control – than children
without ADHD, according to a new study. Fewer than one per cent of kids in the
non-ADHD comparison group exhibited any traits linked to autism, according to
the study published in
Pediatrics
. “These children are not having the full diagnosis
of autism, but they have symptoms of autism,” one of the researchers says. “It may
be important to screen children with ADHD for autistic traits because they may
need more support, particularly in the educational and interpersonal domains.”
source:
HealthDay
Researchers have found that by offering a dip flavoured with spices, children
were more likely to try vegetables – including those they had previously
rejected. According to a recently published report, researchers worked with
children between the ages of three and five years, who tasted and rated six
different vegetables. After tasting each vegetable, the children were shown
three cartoon faces and asked to pick which one best showed how they felt:
“yummy”, “just OK” or “yucky”. The researchers also noted if the child refused to
try the sample. In the next session, the children were introduced to five different
dips. In as few as four tasting sessions, researchers found that pre-schoolers
consumed more of a disliked vegetable when it was paired with a spiced dip
than when it was eaten alone.
source:
Penn State Newswire
