Impacts of genetics on snacking patterns

Researcher Elie Chamoun investigated whether genetic variants in taste receptors related to sweet preference, fat taste sensitivity and aversion to bitter green leafy vegetables influence the snacks chosen by children. He found that nearly 80 per cent of children in the study carried at least one of these potential at-risk genotypes that could predispose them to poor snacking habits.

Chidren are eating a lot more snacks now than they used to, looking at how genetics can be related to snacking behaviour, it  is important to understanding increased obesity among children, the study looked at connections between the genes of the three at-risk taste receptors and linked them to snacking patterns among children.

The study entailed tracking the day-to-day diets of children and found that one-third of the children's diets were made up of snacks, children with a sweet tooth, who have the gene related to sweet taste preference, ate snacks with significantly more calories from sugar. The children with the genetic variant related to fat taste sensitivity were found to consume snacks with higher energy density.

People with this genetic variant may have low oral sensitivity to fat and therefore consume more fatty foods without sensing it. Higher-energy density snacks, such as cookies with lots of sugar and fat, have a higher number of calories for their weight. The children with the genetic variant related to avoiding bitter vegetables also consumed snacks with high energy density.
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Antibiotics with narrower targets for respiratory infections

Researchers who studied pediatric treatment practices in patients with earaches, strep throat and other common infections found that narrow-spectrum antibiotics, which act against a smaller range of bacteria, had fewer adverse effects than broad-spectrum antibiotics, which target a broader variety of bacteria. When judged by both practical and clinical outcomes, narrow-spectrum antibiotics performed equally well or better than broad-spectrum ones, with fewer disruptions to family routines.

The study reflects an "antimicrobial stewardship" approach, guiding healthcare providers to prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic for a patient's specific type of infection, with the aim of improving individual outcomes and reducing the overall risk of antibiotic resistance in which disease-causing microorganisms develop resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

Many children unnecessarily receive broad-spectrum antibiotics for common infections, which can lead to antibiotic resistance and unnecessary side effects," said study leader Jeffrey Gerber, MD, PhD, associate director for Inpatient Research Activities in the Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). "This study showed that inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics also affects families.

The study team performed two complementary studies in 31 primary care practices in CHOP's pediatric network in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, between January 2015 and April 2016. They drew on electronic health records of infants and children up to age 12 diagnosed with an acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) and prescribed an oral antibiotic. In a retrospective cohort of approximately 30,000 patients, 14 percent received broad-spectrum drugs and 86 percent received narrow-spectrum drugs.

The ARTIs in the analysis were acute otitis media (earache), Group A streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat) and sinusitis (sinus infection). ARTIs account for the majority of antibiotic exposures in children. In addition to assessing clinical outcomes in a retrospective cohort of 30,000 children, the researchers studied a prospective cohort of 2,472 children, doing telephone interviews with caregivers to measure outcomes that parents had identified as their highest concerns: adverse drug effects.

The study team found a significantly higher risk of adverse events for broad-spectrum antibiotics compared to narrow-spectrum antibiotics (3.7 percent vs. 2.7 percent as documented by clinicians, and 35.6 percent vs. 25.1 percent, as reported by patients and families). The rates of treatment failure were not significantly different between both types of antibiotics. Research tells us that antibiotic stewardship programs not only reduce the overall burden of antibiotic resistance, but also improve patient outcomes.
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Social and emotional behaviours improve learning

Students with well-developed and adaptive social and emotional behaviours are most likely to excel in school, according to UNSW researchers in educational psychology. The two-part study of 153,437 NSW kindergarten students shows that adaptive social and emotional behaviours in kindergarten correspond with better results in school years later.

The UNSW researchers, in partnership with the University of Sydney, assessed children on their cooperative, socially responsible, helpful, anxious, and aggressive-disruptive behaviours in kindergarten. These ratings were then used to identify social and emotional behavioural profiles to understand how students tend to fare on the five behaviours.

Children in profiles that were higher in cooperative, socially responsible, and helpful behaviours in kindergarten were more likely to achieve better results in grades 3 and 5. Children in profiles with higher levels of aggressive-disruptive behaviours-such as physical violence, excluding other children, or temper tantrums-tended to receive lower results.

Children who were in profiles higher in anxious behaviours had less obvious outcomes, but often achieved slightly lower school results, possibly because they tended to also exhibit lower helpful and cooperative behaviours. This may have been due to anxiety making socialisation with other students more difficult.

Children's social and emotional behaviours in the early years were powerful predictors of later outcomes, making it essential to teach social and emotional skills and behaviours from an early age.
Five major social and emotional skills that were important precursors to adaptive social and emotional behaviours: self-awareness, which refers to a person's ability to be aware of and understand their emotions, values, strengths, and weaknesses (such as being able to identify feelings of frustration or anger when they occur)

Self-management, which refers to the ability to control or adjust emotions and behaviour as needed in different situations. Social awareness, which refers the ability to take other people's perspective and feel empathy (such as being able to consider how a situation may be perceived by others) relationship skills, which entail the capacity to listen effectively, communicate clearly, cooperate with others, and offer help as needed (such as being able to work well in a group) responsible decision-making, which refers to the capacity to make choices in diverse settings that are respectful and constructive (such as understanding that actions appropriate at home may be different from those appropriate at school).

Social and emotional skills helped children and adolescents form and maintain positive relationships at school and beyond, behave in ways that allowed them to get on well with others, and perform well academically. These skills are fundamental to the way we interact and our capacity to respond to  what life throws our way.
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Valsartan for treating high blood pressure

Valsartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Valsartan keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow. It is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) in adults and children who are at least 6 years old. Valsartan is also used in adults to treat heart failure, and to lower the risk of death after a heart attack. It is sometimes given together with other blood pressure medications.

If you have diabetes, do not use valsartan together with any medication that contains aliskiren (Amturnide, Tekturna, Tekamlo, Valturna). Before taking this medicine. Do not use valsartan if you are allergic to it. You may take valsartan with or without food. Take the medicine at the same time each day. If a child taking valsartan cannot swallow a capsule whole, your pharmacist can mix the medicine into a liquid. Shake this liquid well just before you measure a dose.

Measure the liquid with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. You may have very low blood pressure while taking valsartan. Call your doctor if you are sick with vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than usual. Drinking alcohol can further lower your blood pressure and may increase certain side effects of valsartan. Do not use potassium supplements or salt substitutes while you are taking valsartan, unless your doctor has told you to.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. In rare cases, valsartan can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, unusual tiredness, and dark colored urine.
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Effects of parents' lifestyle on their children

The importance of parents' characteristics for their children's health is explained by poor living conditions in childhood lead to poverty in adulthood-which affects health and
the transmission of sound or ill health to children. Beyond the obvious common genetic inheritance across generations, parents' health also has an impact on their children's health by imparting habits and lifestyles.

Our research found that if a parent smoked when their child was young, the child was much more likely to smoke as an adult. A person's obesity in later life was more frequent when their parents were smokers and had a problem with alcohol. Obesity was one not only associated with parents having a problem with alcohol it was also associated with parent being smoker. If a person's father smoked when they were 12, they were almost twice as likely to smoke than people whose father did not smoke at all.

If mothers smoked, it increased the risk of their daughters smoking – but not their sons. The risk that a person would smoke was also higher among those whose father was a manual worker, and who had experienced periods of poverty during their childhood. Our findings should give pause for thought to those who devised the new NHS plans to stop smokers or obese patients from having surgery unless they quit smoking or lose weight.

The decision assumes that these patients' poor health is self induced, so they are made to choose between facing the consequences of their lifestyle or demonstrating a commitment to change. These sorts of public health policies don't take into account that lifestyle is strongly associated with circumstances beyond a person's control, especially their childhood circumstances and their parents' health and lifestyles.

Restricting their access to treatment appears especially unfair when people do not have equal opportunities to be in good health and to adopt healthy lifestyles. People would only be responsible for the share that isn't linked to their childhood conditions or their parents' choices. The study shows that, even without making this distinction between responsibility and true responsibility, the control of people on their health choices and their health status is limited.
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Spanking children increases the risk of depression

Spanking is using physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, to correct their behavior. Parents have long argued it is their prerogative if they wish to smack their child to keep them in line and teach them right from wrong. However, thousands of campaigners have dismissed their claims and state it is wrong to cause any degree of pain to children.

Spanking naughty children increases their risk of depression and becoming hooked on illegal drugs, researchers also found the violent practice leaves a lasting impact on youngsters and makes them more likely to become suicidal. The findings, based on data from different adults, has prompted calls for spanking to be considered as bad for children taken through a divorce.

Scientists now stress the importance of cracking down on harsh parenting in order to prevent children from becoming depressed. Researchers asked volunteers to complete questionnaires about how often they were spanked as a child. They were also quizzed about their household background and if an adult inflicted either physical or emotional abuse upon them.

Those reporting exposure to spanking had increased odds of depression and other mental health problems, spanking should be considered an adverse childhood experience because it involves the use of force and infliction of pain, and is linked to poor mental health outcomes.This would put spanking into the same bracket as abuse, neglect and household dysfunction, which includes divorce and an incarcerated relative.
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Chemotherapy may have effects on intergenerational fertility

Chemotherapy treatment can damage the fertility of women and their children. The treatment can reduce the levels of fertility and chance of having children. Women and men are encouraged to freeze their eggs or sperm before treatment.

But when chemotherapy patients have children naturally, it was usually assumed that their ability to reproduce was unaffected. Children born to women who have had chemotherapy have 72 per cent fewer children of their own than members of the general population.

The effect seems to mainly affect women. Children of men who had chemotherapy treatment may have a similar number of children compared to members of the general population of the same age. Daughters of women who had chemotherapy had 71 per cent fewer children than the general population. Sons of female chemotherapy patients had 87 per cent fewer children.

 This may be caused by epigenetics or changes which can be compared to switches that turn on or off certain genes in the DNA passed on to a person’s offspring. Recent studies have found that, smoking causes epigenetic changes in DNA. Chemotherapy given to women may have intergenerational effects on fertility.
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Exposing children to germs and pets reduces the risk of asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease that frequently aggravates and narrows the airways, leading to wheezing, coughing, breathlessness and a tight chest.

According to National Institute of Health, contact with cats, dogs, mice and cockroach at three months lowers chance of having asthma by age seven. Exposure to certain bacteria in house dust during infancy was also associated with a reduce risk.

According to a study, exposing children to pets and germs early reduces their risk of developing asthma. Exposure to allergens early in life, before asthma develops, has a preventive effect.

Early-life environment can influence the development of certain health conditions, preventing asthma before it develops is the best method of preventing it. Exposure to different indoor allergens, bacteria and bacterial products early in life may reduce the risk of developing asthma.

Researchers discovered that higher concentrations of cockroach, mouse and cat allergens present in dust samples collected from the children's homes at three months were linked to a lower risk of asthma by age seven.
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Moldy house causes asthma

Mould triggers asthma, visible mould in homes is associated with the beginning of wheezing in children, mould and leaks may be be found in the bedrooms and homes of children who had just started wheezing compared to the children who had never wheezed.

The more mould, the greater the risk that children would start wheezing. The use of extractor fans, avoiding drying of clothes inside the room and opening the windows for fresh air may reduce the growth of mold.

Asthma is a condition that affects the airways,common symptoms include wheezing, coughing, breathlessness and having a tight chest.

 Researchers assessed the homes of children showing symptoms of asthma and discovered that condensation, damp and mould are present in their  rooms, mold will make asthma worse if you already have it and increase the risk of having it if you don't.

 Mould and leaks were more likely to be found in the bedrooms and homes of children who had just started wheezing compared to the children who had never wheezed.
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Using antidepressants in pregnancy may affects fetus mental development

Latest research shows that there is an increased risk involved in using antidepressants during pregnancy, children born to mothers who were on antidepressants during pregnancy may develop psychological disorder later in life.

Researchers divided children into four groups: the children in group 1 had not been exposed to antidepressants in the womb. In group 2, the mothers had been taking antidepressants before pregnancy, but not during.

In group 3, the mothers were using antidepressants both before and during the pregnancy. Group 4 consisted of children, whose mothers were new users of antidepressants and had started taking the medication during the pregnancy.

The result of the study showed an increased number of children with psychiatric disorders in the group in which the mothers had been using antidepressants during their pregnancy. Psychiatric disorders are hereditary
being exposed to antidepressants in the womb can increase the risk.
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Children of older women may develop cancer

Increase in chromosomal mutations as we get older may increase the risk of giving birth to children that will develop cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Increasing chromosomal aberrations with older parental may cause stillbirth or a baby with conditions like autism and Down’s syndrome.

A chromosome mutation is an unpredictable change that occurs in a
chromosome. This change is caused by problems that occur during cell division process.

Increasing new mutations that happens in sperm or egg cells are associated with the parents age. These increases the risk of birth defects related to single gene mutations and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Older parents can reduce the risk by embracing healthy lifestyle, reducing alcohol intake, avoiding smoking and chemical exposure.
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Dangers of high fat diet in pregnancy

High-fat diet during pregnancy affects the development of the brain and endocrine system of fetus. Unhealthy diet during pregnancy can increase the risk of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression in children.

 Fetuses exposed to a high-fat diet will have greater cases of anxiety, high fat exposure impaired the development of neurons containing serotonin, a neurotransmitter that's critical in developing brains.

High fat diet in pregnancy contributes to neuropsychiatric disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD spectrum disorders, bipolar
disorder, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression in children.
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Exposing children to germs strengthen their immune systems

All germs are not bad, some germs stimulate immune system and strength them to fight diseases. Exposing children to clean environment only can leads to severely hyper sensitised immune system making the children vulnerable to allergies and neurodevelopmental problems.

Early exposure to germs strengthen immune system and teaches it how to control its reaction to daily germs present in the atmosphere. Scientists believe that without exposure to dirt and germs early in life, the immune system will not be able control its reaction to everyday invaders like dust.

According to researchers, pre- and postnatal pet exposure enriched the amount of two types of bacteria- Ruminococcus and Oscillospira that reduce allergies and obesity in children.

Giving children fermented foods like miso and natto also exposed them to bacteria, microflora in fermented foods produce a protective lining in their intestines and strengthen it against salmonella and E.coli.
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Breastfed children are at the risk of teeth decayed

According to the latest research, breastfeeding children for more than one year increases the risk of missing teeth and teeth decayed.

 Eating  and drinking increase bacteria in the mouth, toddler don't brush their teeth after taking breast milk and this exposed them to bacteria that causes teeth decayed.

Researchers examined children that are breastfed for more than recommended periods by American Academy of Pediatrics and discovered that breastfeeding is responsible for their missing and decayed teeth.

Breastfeeding for 13 to 23 months has no effect on cavity risk. Regular exposure to breast milk day and night increases the risk of teeth decayed.

Mothers can still breastfed for more than 23 months, but they have to reduce the risk of teeth decay by not breastfeeding for more than five times in a day and not at night. And by brushing the teeth of their children from 24 months two times in a day.
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Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder

Neurodevelopmental disorder is identified by difficulty in communication, social interactions, behavior and repetitive patterns of behavior.

Measuring some proteins called potential markers in the blood may enable early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

These proteins could help in accurate diagnosis of the disorder in children.
ASD is a heterogeneous disorder, getting the biomaker of the patients can help in early diagnosis and reduce the effects of the disorder in children affected.

Measuring brain growth before the first 500 days can reduce the effects of the disorder and it will enables early diagnosis.

Waiting for the characteristics of the disorder may be too late before diagnosis to correct the effects of neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
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Links between household chemicals and birth defects

Common household chemicals are air freshener, deodorant, disinfectant, laundry detergent and fabric softener.

Birth defects occur when both parents were exposed, as well as when one parent was exposed.

Exposure to these common household chemicals can affect the embryonic development and cause permanent deformation to the fetus.

A common ingredient of household products, known as quaternary ammonium compounds or 'quats', is responsible for the harmful effects.

It may affect sperm count, ovulation and cause miscarriage in some cases. Couple planning to have children should use these chemicals with caution.

Pregnant women must be very careful while using these chemicals or minimize exposure to avoid having children with neural tube defects.
 
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Fever in pregnancy increases risk of autism

Fever during pregnancy may raise the risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the child. The effect was high in the second trimester, raising odds for ASD by 40 percent.

Risk of an ASD was increased by over 300 percent for the children of women reporting three or more fevers after four months of pregnancy.

The researchers followed 95,754 children born between 1999 and 2009, including 583 cases of ASD identified in Norway through the Autism Birth Cohort (ABC) Study.

Mothers of 15,701 children (16 percent) reported fever in one or more four-week intervals throughout pregnancy, similar to rates reported in the U.S. ASD risk was increased by 34 percent when mothers reported fever at any time during pregnancy, and by 40 percent in the second trimester.

The risk increased in a dose-dependent fashion from 1.3-fold with one or two fever episodes after the twelfth prenatal week to 3.12-fold with three or more.

Gestational maternal infection and innate immune responses to infection in the onset of  pregnancy can increase some cases of autism spectrum disorder.

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How egg prevents stunted growth

Stunted growth is an impaired growth and development caused by poor nutrition in early life.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Children are defined as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median.

Stunted growth prevalence reduced by 47 percent with daily egg intake
The study was a randomized, controlled trial that involved children aged 6 to 9 months from Equador, South America, where around 23 percent of children under the age of 5 years have stunted growth.

The children were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was fed one egg every day for 6 months, while the other group was not fed eggs.

The researchers found that the children who were fed eggs had significantly higher length-for-age and weight-for-age scores than the other group. A few
A model of the egg intervention revealed that it reduced the prevalence of stunted growth by 47 percent.

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Rosemary aroma can boost children's memory

Exposure to the aroma of rosemary essential oil can enhance mental function and working memory in children.

 Dr Mark Moss and Victoria Earle of Northumbria University at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton examined the effects of Rosemary oil on children.

A total of 40 children aged 10 to 11 took part in a class based test on different mental tasks. Children were randomly assigned to a room that had either rosemary oil diffused in it for ten minutes or a room with no scent.
The children were tested individually on memory games.

The children in the aroma room performed better than the children in non-scented room. The test to recall words demonstrated the greatest different in scores. It could be that aromas boost activity in the brain.

Poor working memory is related to poor academic performance and these findings offers effective and simple intervention to improve academic performance in children.

Vaccine protects mice from Zika virus

New Zika vaccine was made from live virus that has been inactivate and it shows effectiveness in mice.

Producing a better vaccine will require a balance between efficacy and safety of the user, vaccine produced from attenuated live viruses normally offers fast immunity but not safe.

Inactivated and subunit viruses always provide safety but may required several initial doses, safe live-atteuation  vaccine will be used for production of Zika vaccine for human in developing countries.

Zika vaccine showed safety profile in mice, this vaccine will prevent transmission of the virus and microcephaly and prevent birth defects and diseases caused by Zika.

The vaccine will be recommended for women of child bearing age, their sexual partner and children less than 10 years.