Spotting ADHD early can ensure children with the condition get the help they need sooner rather than later. But how can parents know if the behavior they’re seeing in their child is a sign of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or merely the mercurial mood and behavior swings of a toddler? An expert at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore offers some guidance. “Research shows that children with ADHD have abnormal brain development, meaning that ADHD has a biological basis that often makes it a lifelong condition,” Mark Mahone, director of neuropsychology, said on the institute’s website. “We want to catch ADHD early because it has such a profound effect on learning and academic development. Children whose symptoms begin in early childhood are at the highest risk for academic failure and grade repetition.” The team at Kennedy Krieger was among the first to study preschoolers’ brains for signs of ADHD using neuroimaging. The researchers found that children with ADHD have a smaller caudate nucleus, a brain structure associated with thinking skills and motor control. Up to 40% of children have significant attention problems by age 4. ADHD is the most common mental health disorder among preschoolers. About 1 in 11 school-aged children have an ADHD diagnosis. Mahone encourages parents to pay close attention to their toddler’s behavior. Look for these specific signs: Your child dislikes or…  read on >  read on >

The first vaccine designed to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by vaccinating their mothers during pregnancy has been backed by a panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. On Thursday the independent committee of experts voted unanimously that the Pfizer-made vaccine was effective, and 10-4 that there was adequate data on safety to move the vaccine to approval, the Associated Press reported. The shot would be given to pregnant women at 24 to 36 weeks gestation. This should stimulate the production of maternal antibodies to RSV that would then pass through the placenta to the fetus. “Before the pandemic, RSV was the No. 1 cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, so this is a big deal,” Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the precision vaccines program at Boston Children’s Hospital, told NBC News. Levy is a temporary voting member of the panel, but not one who voted on this vaccine. The FDA will still need to approve the vaccine, a process that could take months. The agency is not obligated to follow its advisers’ recommendations, but it usually does. The Pfizer-made vaccine would only be the second one ever approved in the United States for RSV. A vaccine made by pharmaceutical company GSK was approved for adults ages 60 and up earlier this month. However, 11 RSV vaccines for…  read on >  read on >

The first RSV vaccine designed to protect infants is under consideration by a panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. An independent committee of experts will vote Thursday on whether to recommend the shot for pregnant mothers at 24 to 36 weeks gestation. “Before the pandemic, RSV was the No. 1 cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, so this is a big deal,” Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the precision vaccines program at Boston Children’s Hospital, told NBC News. Levy is a temporary voting member of the panel, but not one who will vote on this vaccine. If the panel recommends the vaccine, the FDA would still need to approve it, a process that could take months. The agency is not obligated to follow its advisers’ recommendations, but it usually does. The Pfizer-made vaccine would only be the second one ever approved in the United States for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). A vaccine made by pharmaceutical company GSK was approved for adults ages 60 and up earlier this month. However, 11 RSV vaccines for various age groups are being tested in ongoing clinical trials. When a mother-to-be receives the vaccine, protective antibodies transfer to infants through the placenta. Safety data for the infant vaccine is “generally favorable,” according to the FDA. Trial participants had a slightly elevated rate of preterm…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – Baby equipment is costly, so many parents buy it used, but they’re not always sure whether it’s still safe, a nationwide poll reveals. About half of the 932 parents surveyed in February said they had used pre-owned equipment for their baby, most often cribs and high chairs, according to a University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital poll released May 15. Yet, 2 in 3 said it was hard to tell if the equipment was safe. “Used child essentials are often more cost-effective, environmentally friendly and convenient,” said poll co-director Sarah Clark. “However, many parents in our poll weren’t completely confident they could identify safety concerns, such as unsafe wear and tear, recalls or hygiene issues.” About half said they were only comfortable with used equipment from family or close friends. A little less than half were also OK with items bought at resale shops and yard sales. Outdoor play structures, strollers, playpens and bath seats were among other items most often purchase. Parents were least likely to report using secondhand infant car seats or booster seats. “Regardless of whether they receive the item from someone they know well or from a garage sale, parents should take diligent steps to make sure the equipment meets current safety standards and is safe for their child,” Clark said in a university news release.…  read on >  read on >

It’s important to understand your bone health to avoid damage as you age. Losses of bone mineral density and bone mass can cause weakening, potentially leading to a fracture, especially in the hip, spine and wrist. Osteoporosis is considered a silent disease because it often has no symptoms until someone breaks a bone in an unusual way, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “Breaking a bone after falling while in a standing position could be a sign of osteoporosis,” endocrinologist Dr. Jessica Starr said in a hospital news release. “Any fracture should prompt a discussion of bone health with one’s doctor.” Chances of that happening go up with age. Before osteoporosis comes osteopenia, a less-serious loss of bone density. This affects more than half of adults ages 50 and up in the United States. Women are at greater risk. Bones are living tissue affected by hormones and whether someone gets enough vitamins and minerals. People have peak bone mass at puberty and it continues into the 20s and the 30s, when the body constantly creates new bone. Menopause often brings on a loss in bone density. A bone density test can diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis. It’s an X-ray that provides information about bone strength and fracture risk. Healthy women should have an initial bone density screening at age 65. Men…  read on >  read on >

Older Americans are dying of falls at more than double the rate of 20 years ago — with women, men and all racial groups showing increases, according to a new study. In 2020, the study found, just over 36,500 Americans age 65 and up died of a fall-related injury. That was up from roughly 10,100 deaths in 1999. Adjusted for age, those numbers translated into a more than twofold increase in the rate of fall-related deaths among older Americans: from 29 per 100,000 in 1999, to 69 per 100,000 in 2020. It’s well known that falls are the leading cause of injury death among older Americans, and that the problem is growing. The new findings underscore that, and show that no demographic is unaffected, according to researcher Alexis Santos-Lozada, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University. He found that fall-related death rates more than doubled among both women and men. Among racial and ethnic groups, white older adults had the highest death rate from falls, and the biggest increase — reaching 78 deaths per 100,000 in 2020. But death rates also rose among Black seniors, Hispanic seniors, Asian seniors and Native American seniors alike. “For every group, it’s going in the same direction,” Santos-Lozada said. “That’s concerning.” Yet, he added, “fall prevention is not something we talk about a…  read on >  read on >