TWO-SIDED CONVERSATIONS HELP KIDS LEARN LANGUAGE SKILLS

Healthy child language development is closely associated with adult-child conversations, as shown in the study, “Teaching by Listening: The Importance of Adult-Child Conversations to Language Development.” Results of a cross-sectional study of 275 families of children aged 2 to 48 months showed that children with high language scores engaged in a lot of conversation with adults. Each hour of daily television viewing was associated with a 2.68 decrease in the language score. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no television for babies under 2 years of age because the opportunities for adult-child interactions are limited. Parents can provide speech opportunities to their children by talking to them, telling them stories and reading books, but it is equally important to engage their children in two-sided conversations. More conversations can mean more opportunities for mistakes and corrections, which help children practice newly acquired language skills. The results of this study provide evidence that adult-child conversations are vital to child language development.

FOR MANY TEENS, RISKY BEHAVIOR IS LINKED TO BELIEF THEY’LL DIE YOUNG

Many adolescents think it is highly likely that they will die before age 35, and these young people tend to engage in more risky behavior, according to the study “Health Status and Behavioral Outcomes for Youth Who Anticipate a High Likelihood of Early Death.” Researchers looked at more than 20,000 teens in grades 7 through 12 during three separate study years. In the first set of interviews, nearly 15 percent of adolescents predicted they had a 50/50 chance or less of living to age 35. Their perceived risk of dying young was much higher than their actual risk. This fatalistic view varied notably across social groups. Those who engaged in risky behaviors such as illicit drug use, suicide attempts, fighting and unsafe sexual activity in the first year were more likely in subsequent years to believe they would die at a young age. Conversely, those who predicted early death in the first year were more likely in later years to begin engaging in risky behaviors and have poor health outcomes. This contradicts conventional wisdom about adolescents taking risks because they feel invincible. The study authors suggest that perceived risk for early death be incorporated into psychosocial assessments and interviews of adolescents.

GOOD GUYS, BAD GUYS AND SMOKING INITIATION BY TEENS

Previous studies have confirmed a link between smoking in movies and initiation of smoking by adolescents. A new study, “Influence of Character Portrayals of Smoking on Adolescent Smoking: Who Matters More, Good Guys or Bad Guys?” went further and examined whether the type of character – “good guy” or “bad guy” – had any impact on teen smoking initiation. In a survey of 6,522 U.S. adolescents, the authors found that viewing smoking by different character types did not impact whether a teen will start smoking. While there was an increased response to “bad guy” smoking, overall there is more exposure to “good guy” smoking, so the net effect is similar. However, they found that teens at low risk to begin smoking (because they are low in sensation-seeking) are more strongly influenced by “bad guy” movie smoking. Because smoking occurs in many movies, parents should limit movie viewing and specifically should restrict access to R-rated movies, which tend to contain more smoking. When teens do view movies that contain smoking, parents should talk with them in an effort to discourage initiation of smoking.

USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) TO DETERMINE EFFECTIVE CHEST COMPRESSION DEPTH IN CHILD CPR

The American Heart Association (AHA) pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines recommend a compression depth for children that is approximately one-third to one-half the depth of the chest. In the study, “Estimation of Optimal CPR Chest Compression Depth in Children by Using Computer Tomography,” 280 chest CT scans for 14 age divisions between 0 and 8 years were reconstructed and analyzed. The results indicate that simulated chest compression at one-third of the depth of the chest appears to be radiographically appropriate for children aged 3 months to 8 years. Simulated chest compression depth of roughly one-half the chest depth seems radiographically too deep. Additional studies may lead to improved guidelines for appropriate chest compression in children.

Editor’s Note: The July issue of Pediatrics also includes the study, “What is the Correct Depth of Chest Compression for Infants and Children? A Radiological Study.”

SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT OF CRITICALLY ILL CHILDREN IMPROVES SURVIVAL

Specialized transport teams have been known to improve survival rates of adults, but few studies have examined the results of using specialized transport teams for infants and children. The study, “Pediatric Specialized Transport Teams Are Associated With Improved Outcomes,” examined the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh transport team between January 2001 and September 2002. A total of 1,085 infants and children were retrieved, with 94 percent transported by a pediatric critical care specialty team, and 6 percent by a non-specialized team. Unplanned events occurred in 55 patients, including cardiopulmonary arrest, loss of critical intravenous access and airway-related issues, and they were more common among patients transported by the non-specialized teams (61 percent vs. 1.5 percent). After adjustment for illness severity, death also occurred more among patients transported by non-specialized teams, (23 percent vs. 9 percent). Based on this study, transport of critically ill children can be conducted more safely with a pediatric critical care specialized team.

Editor’s Note: The July issue of Pediatrics also includes the commentary, “Speed Isn’t Everything in Pediatric Medical Transport,” and the AAP policy statement, “Equipment for Ambulances.”

DEPRESSED DADS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE COLICKY BABIES

Excessive infant crying, or colic, is a stressful problem for parents that can ultimately result in child abuse. Early education and support for at-risk parents can help relieve their distress. A known risk factor for excessive infant crying is maternal depression during pregnancy. The study, “Paternal Depressive Symptoms During Pregnancy Are Related to Excessive Infant Crying,” found paternal depression during pregnancy is also a risk factor for excessive infant crying. In a cohort of 7,003 families, depressed fathers were nearly twice as likely to report excessive crying in their 2-month-old infant, compared to fathers who were not depressed. These rates were similar to the rates seen with mothers. The authors suggest several possible reasons for the association, including reduced sensitivity of depressed fathers to their children, the increased stress on a family from a depressed family member, and genetic transmission of irritability.