Child abuse can alter the onset of menstruation in girls

Friday, August 3)--HealthDay News girls who are physically or sexually assaulted can start menstruation earlier or later than average, according to a new study.

After analyzing the information about women, 69000 researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that the sexual abuse in childhood were 49% more likely to have their first period to 11 years than women who had not been abused. Women who suffered heavy physical abuse have a 50% increase in risk for starting their menstrual cycles later, or after 15 years.

In the United States during times of girls start at an average of about 12.5 years, according to the national institutes of health United States. Studies do not suggest, however, that the girl who starts menstruating earlier or later than usual, have been subjected to violence.

"In our study was associated with the accelerated and delayed age at menarche cruel and it is important that these associations vary with the type of abuses that suggest that child abuse is not a homogeneous impact on health," said study leader Dr. Renée Boynton-Jarrett, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University Press release.

"There is a need for further research to study the characteristics of child abuse that might affect health outcomes, including the type and severity of the abuse, as well as the social context in which the abuse occurs," Boynton-Jarrett.

The researchers noted that girls who menstruate early can be at greater risk for certain health problems such as heart disease, cancer, metabolic dysfunction and depression. In the meantime, the girls who menstruate later may be more likely to have depression and lower bone mineral density.

"We must work towards a better understanding of how abuse affects the health and translate these findings into clinical practice and public health strategy to improve the welfare of victims of ill-treatment," Boynton-Jarrett said.

The study was published online July 26 in the journal of adolescent health.

Dallas — Mary Elizabeth Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: Boston University Medical Center, press release, July 27, 2012

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Health Tip: Protect Your Child in Extreme Heat

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(HealthDay News) -- Extreme heat can make people sick, especially children. That's why parents should be prepared to get overheated kids out of the hot sun and into an air-conditioned building.

The American Academy of Pediatricians offers this advice:

If your home isn't air conditioned, visit a pubic building such as a library.Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids all day long. Offer a drink before your child asks for one.Allow more naps and rest time than usual, as heat can make children feel tired.Have your child take a cool bath.Don't ever leave your child inside a hot car.

-- Diana Kohnle Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Tip: If Your Child Gets Headaches

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(HealthDay News) -- If your child gets frequent headaches, you can help the pediatrician diagnose the problem by keeping a log of the child's symptoms.

The Nemours Foundation says the log should include:

The frequency and severity of headaches, when they started and ended, and any other symptoms that accompanied the headaches.Where the pain was felt, what it felt like (throbbing or dull, etc.), and changes in these headaches over time.Any recent injuries, identifiable headache triggers, current medications or previous medical problems.Your child's eating and sleeping habits.Your child's allergies and any family history of headaches.Any medication or activity that seems to help make the headaches go away.

-- Diana Kohnle Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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ADHD Medication - Is it the Right Choice For Your Child?

If you are like me, when you first heard about ADHD medication, you were very concerned about giving it to your child. ADHD is an issue that a rapidly growing number of families are facing in the western world. They have experienced the stress and frustration that accompanies ADHD and are looking for the best solution for their child-one that is both safe and effective. Many choose medicine for ADHD, but a growing number of families are choosing to address ADHD issues from a natural approach.

Typically when a doctor diagnoses ADHD in an individual, he will immediately recommend stimulant ADHD medication. Doctors will tell you that children with ADHD make a complete turn around in school. For many children, it is true that grades and behavior improve when a child begins taking medicine for ADHD. The conflicts decrease, and grades increase, but at what cost.

It is unbelievable to me how little a doctor will discuss the importance of sleep and nutrition to a child with ADHD. Some professionals believe that 80% to 90% of ADHD issues are due to poor nutrition. Since most medicine for ADHD actually acts as an appetite suppressant, it may only make things worse.

The result is that a child who was very likely a picky eater in the first place, now almost stops eating completely. And what he does eat is usually void of nutrition. Most of the families I am familiar with whose children take ADHD medication have had serious weight loss issues to deal with soon after beginning medication. The solution the doctor often gives is to provide the child with protein shakes as often as they will drink them. Some children become malnourished to the point of developing physical health problems.

The other major problem with ADHD medication is that it is a stimulant and thus the primary side effect is that it affects sleep pattens. Many people take this same type of medication to stay awake through the night if studying for exams or driving all night. And because of the addictive nature of medicine for ADHD, it is a controlled substance.

With these problems associated with ADHD medication, what is the best way to address ADHD? To begin with, make sure your child is getting adequate amounts of sleep. Children typically need between 11 and 13 hours of sleep each night.

If they are having problems falling asleep, as many children with ADHD do, there are many natural herbal products that can help. Also removing as much sugar and red dye from the diet as possible will usually help. All children will benefit from getting more sleep, and most will show great improvement in ADHD symptoms. Medicine for ADHD will almost always decrease the amount of sleep a child gets.

Because ADHD medication is an appetite suppressant, your child's nutritional intake will drop off and they will not receive the vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are so important to brain development. Before trying medication, see to it that your child is getting balanced nutrition. Begin each day with protein and avoid the empty carbs. A breakfast of waffles and syrup is a recipe for disaster while a breakfast of mostly protein and whole grains will help improve focus and concentration.

Lastly, instead of turning to medicine for ADHD, supplement the diet with a broad based nutritional supplement to provide what is missing in the diet. The importance of vitamins and minerals cannot be overstated.

Also target the specific type of ADHD with natural products. If the main symptom your child displays is hyperactivity, you may want to look into some herbal ingredients that have a calming effect. Herbs such as ginkgo help the brain receive more nutrients from the blood, thus improving concentration and behavior.

There you have it. Skip the ADHD medication until you have tried a more holistic, natural approach. Remember, the decision is yours, not the doctor's. Try various things to improve the amount of sleep and the quality of nutrition your child is getting. You will also find that natural remedies are very effective and can provide quick results. Following this plan will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you are providing the best and safest treatment for your child with ADHD.

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ADHD medication - is the right choice for your child?

If you're like me, when you first know about ADHD medications, you were very concerned about giving his son. ADHD is a problem that they face an increasing number of families in the Western world. They have experienced stress and frustration that accompanies ADHD and they are looking for the best solution for your child – that is safe and effective. Many choose medicine for ADHD, but a growing number of families are choosing to tackle the problems of ADHD a natural perspective.http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov
Normally when a doctor diagnosed ADHD in an individual, he immediately recommend stimulant ADHD medications. Doctors will tell the children with ADHD than a turnaround in the school. For many children, it is true that the grades and behavior improved when a child begins to take medications for ADHD. The conflicts decrease and increase the grades, but at what cost.
It's amazing to me how little a doctor will discuss the importance of sleep and nutrition for a child with ADHD. Some professionals believe that 80 to 90% of the problems of ADHD are due to poor nutrition. Given that most medicine for ADHD really acts as a suppressor of appetite, can only done worse things.
The result is that a child who was very likely a fussy dining room in the first place, now almost completely eat. And what we eat is generally devoid of nutrition. Most of the families that I'm familiar with whose children have ADHD medication have had serious problems of loss to treat soon after starting the medication of weight. The solution often the doctor gives is to provide the child with protein shakes as often as drink it. Some children become malnourished on the verge of developing physical health problems.
The main problem with ADHD medications is that it is a stimulant and therefore the main side effect is that it affects sleep pattens. Many people this same type of medication to stay awake all night if studying for exams or drive all night. And the addictive nature of the medicine for ADHD is a controlled substance.
With these problems associated with medication for ADHD, what is the best way to address ADHD? To begin with, make sure that your child is receiving adequate amounts of sleep. Children usually need between 11 and 13 hours of sleep each night.
If you have problems sleeping, as many children with ADHD, there are many natural herbs that can help. It will usually help to remove as much sugar and dye red the diet as possible. All children will benefit from more sleep, and most show great improvement in ADHD symptoms. Medicine for ADHD will almost always decrease the amount of sleep obtained from a child.
Because ADHD medications is an appetite suppressant, nutritional intake of his son is given and they will not receive the vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are so important for the development of the brain. Before you try medication, ensure that your child is getting a balanced diet. Start each day with protein and avoid empty carbohydrates. A breakfast of waffles and syrup is a recipe for disaster, while a breakfast of protein and whole grains help improve concentration.
Finally, instead of going to the medicine for ADHD, supplement your diet with a nutritional supplement based on broad to provide what is missing in the diet. The importance of vitamins and minerals may not be exaggerated.
Also intended the specific type of ADHD with natural products. If the main symptom which shows their ADHD child wishes to examine some ingredients herbal that have a calming effect. Herbs like ginkgo help the brain receives more nutrients from the blood, thus improving concentration and behavior.
They are there. Omit medication ADHD have even tried an approach more holistic and natural. Remember, the decision is yours, not your doctor. Try several things to improve the amount of sleep and quality of food that your child is receiving. You'll also find natural remedies are very efficient and can provide quick results. Following this plan it will give you peace of mind that are providing the treatment better and safer for your child with ADHD.http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov

A Child Psychiatrist's Philosophy on Medication

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A Child Psychiatrist's Philosophy on Medication

Many people come into my office with some uneasy hostility to the process. Their child is in trouble - he may have ADHD or depression, an eating disorder, or a mood disorder. He may be oppositional or have a substance abuse problem; he may have separation anxiety, or struggle with Asperger's. They've been sent to me because somebody told them that this child may need medication. And here's the road.
I would prefer not to medicate anybody. I'm a big believer in psychotherapy, family dynamics and in severe cases, placing the child in a better social environment to help them grow. You want to put as little foreign material in the brain as possible because the mind has its own way of healing.
Yet, I medicate all the time. The parents will come in and they'll be upset. "I knew you were going to recommend medicine" (as if they were here for another purpose). "Can't we do it any other way?" The answer to that is usually no - not if they want it to be as effective as possible. The problem here is that the child is dysfunctional and medication is the only thing that can successfully aid the dysfunction to the fullest extent.
You see, children are a moving target. What you see at age 7 is different than at age 12. If a child has ADD and hasn't been treated within those 5 years, it can be extremely damaging. How many times has he been yelled at by his parents, how many times has he caused disruptions in school, how many times has he frustrated just about anyone? This is hard to deal with. These are precious years for the development of self esteem. So I tell parents that medicine gives them a sense of competence during these years and sometimes it's no longer needed when they're older.http://www.enwikipedia.org
I want this child to feel good about growing up, good about school, good about experiences with family and good about his connections to friends. If medicine can help this along the way, so be it. You have to remember that not treating somebody is also a treatment decision, and not giving medicine that can help is a decision to deprive the child of something that can make things a lot better for them. If you don't have a good alternative, then you may be giving a child a bad experience for years and he may not be able to overcome this. When the parents leave my office, they're sober in the assessments and generally agree to medicate their child. Years later they are usually grateful for the decision. It's a heavy decision to use medicine with your child- but it's a decision that could lead to a better life for your child as well.http://www.enwikipedia.org