Pediatric health Archive

While many children and teens are prescribed psychotropic medicines to treat conditions like depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a comprehensive look at safety data has been lacking. A recent review of multiple studies synthesizes evidence on the side effect profiles of many widely used medicines.

Summer activities are underway and some schools will be reopening come September. Does your child need a physical exam, or a form from the pediatrician? Here’s how to think through the options for fulfilling these requirements.

Ask the doctor

Q. Will we have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and, if so, when?

A. I'm optimistic because never in human history has so much scientific time and effort been spent trying to make a vaccine. But it won't it be easy. As fast as possible, the vaccine scientists need to prove, first, that a vaccine is safe (minimal side effects) and, second, that it works to reduce a person's risk of getting the disease. Then they need to produce enough of it to immunize most of the 7.6 billion people on earth. Doing all of this within two to three years of a new virus being discovered would be an unprecedented achievement.

Normally associated with veterans, PTSD can also affect people of all ages who have experienced any kind of trauma.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and potentially debilitating mental health disorder that affects people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. PTSD often occurs in combat veterans, but it can also strike older adults, and especially men.

About 70% of older men have been exposed to trauma at some point in life, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of these traumatic events are accidents (or near misses), injuries, or serious health issues.

News briefs

Plants are loaded with naturally occurring chemicals that appear to help health. And high, long-term intakes of certain kinds of plant chemicals called flavonoids are associated with a reduced risk for developing dementia, according to a study published online April 22, 2020, by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers evaluated the health information of 2,800 dementia-free people (average age 59) who periodically underwent physical exams, had lab tests, and answered diet questionnaires. After 20 years, people who had reported the highest flavonoid intake were about 40% less likely to develop dementia, compared with people who'd reported the lowest intake. There are many different types of flavonoids; those with the greatest link to lower dementia risk came from tea, apples, pears, blueberries, and strawberries. A high intake was about the same as having 7.5 cups of berries, eight apples or pears, and 19 cups of tea per month. A low intake was about the same as having no berries or tea and less than two apples per month. The study was observational and doesn't prove that high flavonoid intake protected people from developing dementia. But researchers say other evidence suggests flavonoids may ward off brain inflammation and protect brain cells.

Image: © Slava Olshevskaya/Getty Images

News briefs

The United States is reporting increasing numbers of "deaths from despair" (suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol poisoning). Antidepressants and psychotherapy are often used to help people who are having a hard time coping with extremely difficult times and who are at risk for dying because of it. A recent Harvard study found that another strategy may also play a part in countering despair: attending religious services. The study, published online May 6, 2020, by JAMA Psychiatry, evaluated self-reported religious service attendance among 110,000 white, middle-aged men and women who were followed for about 30 years. Compared with never attending religious services, going at least once per week was associated with a much lower risk of death from despair: 68% lower for women and 37% lower for men. Researchers say that religious participation — regardless of affiliation — may serve as an antidote to despair and provide a sustained sense of hope, meaning, peace, and positive outlook. Also, faith-based organizations promote social engagement and connectedness and preach against self-injury and substance use. The study was observational and does not prove that regularly going to a religious service prevents death from despair. However, we know from other Harvard research that using religion to cope is associated with improved outcomes for people with severe psychiatric illness. Due to the pandemic, it may be difficult to attend your usual place of worship. Consider attending services via teleconference. If you attend in-person services, wear a mask and try to stay six feet away from others.

Image: © fstop123/Getty Images

In the journals

Regular hugs and touches can help strengthen your relationship, suggests a study in the June 2020 Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Researchers explored the effects of nonsexual intimate touch, such as hugging, holding hands, and cuddling, among 184 couples. The participants completed separate self-reports that recorded the amount of touching in their relationship, their satisfaction with touch, and their overall relationship status.

In the journals

Slower gait speed and cognitive decline may be related, according to a study published online April 12, 2020, by the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Scientists recorded the gait speed and cognitive health of 370 people in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging (SALSA). Cognitive health was measured with a test that assessed orientation to time and place, attention, recall, language, and other aspects. Gait speed was measured with a timed 10-foot walk.

Playing youth sports is a great way for children to be active and learn important socialization skills, but the risks of COVID-19 mean parents with children who participate in sports must consider a number of factors when deciding whether to play.

Along with historically high unemployment rates, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant increase in food insecurity for millions of Americans, and this problem disproportionately affects lower-income people and racial and ethnic minorities. Temporary measures have helped a bit to ease the situation, and new proposals could do more.