Ask your teen about their day and try to spend more quality time together. It matters, a new study found. Teens who report better relationships with their moms and dads are healthier both mentally and physically and less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as young adults, according to researchers. “Teens who reported higher levels of warmth, communication, time together and satisfaction with relationships and communication with parents — when re-interviewed 14 years later in young adulthood — reported higher levels of general health, optimism and quality of romantic relationships,” said study author Dr. Carol Ford, chief of adolescent medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. These teens also reported lower levels of stress and depression, as well as lower use of nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and other drugs, she said. Exactly why or how close relationships with parents protects teens is not fully understood. “We suspect that strong positive connections between adolescents and mother and father figures are broadly protective and promote resilience even into adulthood,” Ford said. For the study, her term reviewed data from a nationwide health study of 15,000 adults who enrolled in the mid-1990s when they were 12 to 17 years of age. They were asked 14 years later about their current levels of stress, depression, optimism, nicotine and substance use, as well as other general health measures. Overall, folks who reported…  read on >  read on >

More American children have autism than previously thought, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. It also finds that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed diagnosis for many, which could have lasting impact. Data from 11 communities in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, which tracks the number and characteristics of children with autism and other developmental disabilities, revealed that at age 8, about 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). That’s 2.8% of 8-year-olds, according to an analysis published Thursday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A previous estimate, done in 2018, pegged prevalence at 1 in 44 children, or 2.3%. A second report found that progress in early detection of autism among 4-year-olds in the same 11 communities slowed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were less likely to be screened or identified with ASD than current 8-year-olds were at the same age. “Disruptions due to the pandemic in the timely evaluation of children and delays in connecting children to the services and support they need could have long-lasting effects,” said Dr. Karen Remley, director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “The data in this report can help communities better understand how the pandemic impacted early identification of autism in young children and anticipate future needs as these…  read on >  read on >

Global warming is fostering the spread of a deadly flesh-eating bacteria along the northeastern coast of the United States, researchers report. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria grow in warm shallow coastal waters and can infect a person via a cut or insect bite during contact with seawater. The bacteria is found as far north as Philadelphia and is spreading even further north as ocean waters warm. Between 2041 and 2060, infections may spread to waters around New York, the investigators said. “Climate change is likely to lead to Vibrio vulnificus wound infections being found in more northern states along the U.S. East Coast. Case numbers of these serious and potentially fatal infections will increase,” said lead researcher Elizabeth Archer, a postgraduate researcher at the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. There needs to be increased awareness of V. vulnificus infections among people who take part in coastal activities and health care professionals, she said. “This is especially the case in Northeast states where infections are currently rare or do not occur,” Archer said. “It is very important that any suspected Vibrio vulnificus infections receive medical attention quickly, as cases can become severe very quickly. Although the number of cases in the U.S. is small, someone infected with Vibrio vulnificus has a one-in-five chance of dying.” Many people who survive a…  read on >  read on >

A rare strain of the parasite Toxoplasma has killed four sea otters along the California coast, raising concerns about a potential public health risk. “The appearance of this lethal type of Toxoplasma in coastal California is concerning for two main reasons: First, because of potential population health impacts on a threatened species, and second, because this parasite could also affect the health of other animals that are susceptible to Toxoplasma infection,” said study co-author Devinn Sinnott of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. This rare strain has never been reported in aquatic animals, she and her colleagues said in a university news release. While toxoplasmosis is common and sometimes deadly in sea otters, this unusual Toxoplasma gondii appears to be especially virulent and capable of rapidly killing healthy adult otters, according to the study. It likely arrived on the California coast only recently, the study authors noted. It could pose a public health risk, but no infections with the strain have been reported in humans, the researchers noted. “Because this parasite can infect humans and other animals, we want others to be aware of our findings, quickly recognize cases if they encounter them and take precautions to prevent infection,” said co-author Melissa Miller of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “We encourage others to take extra precautions if they observe inflamed…  read on >  read on >

The death of a parent is heartbreaking for a child or teenager, and those who experience it are known to be at an increased risk for depression and other mental health issues later in life. But a new study finds that children who participated in a bereavement program with their families following the loss of a parent were significantly less likely to experience depression up to 15 years later. Soon, the program will be available online. Study author Irwin Sandler, an emeritus professor with Arizona State University affiliated with the ASU REACH Institute in the Department of Psychology, said he and the other researchers had a theory about whether they could prevent depression in children after parent loss with the program. “It turns out we were right,” Sandler said. The program enrolled 244 kids ages 8 to 16 who had lost a parent between three months and 30 months before the study. It also enrolled their surviving caregivers, which is an important part of the program. This randomized, controlled trial included a total of 156 families. The families were either in the control group, mailed three age-appropriate books about dealing with grief, or they participated in 12 sessions of the bereavement program. Those who did the program had specific caregiver sessions, separate youth sessions, and then came together for two joint sessions to practice their…  read on >  read on >

If you’ve been suffering from caregiver stress, you’ve got plenty of company. It affects about 36% of the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States, according to a recent report by the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving — and it can ultimately lead to caregiver burnout. To give you some tools to better recognize caregiver stress and burnout, let’s explore some of the symptoms. Plus, experts offer several ways you can better manage caregiver stress, and when it’s time to seek help to prevent it from reaching the level of burnout. What is caregiver stress? Caregiver stress occurs when the emotional, mental and physical impacts of being a caregiver become overwhelming. It can happen to anyone who takes care of a person with a disability, health condition or injury or someone who is elderly. However, more women say they experience stress from caregiving than men, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women’s Health. One of the main challenges for a lot of caregivers is having too little time for themselves or their family and friends. “Family caregivers spend an average of over 24 hours a week providing care — that’s more than an entire day you don’t have for yourself,” Laura Kotler-Klein, a social work manager at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said…  read on >  read on >