ADHD DRUGS LINKED TO BETTER GRADES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Approximately 4.4 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 56 percent of those children take medication to treat the disorder. In the study, “Positive Association Between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medication Use and Academic Achievement During Elementary School,” researchers found children with ADHD who took medication scored higher in math and reading than unmedicated peers with ADHD. The study authors used a nationally representative sample of children who entered kindergarten in 1998 and followed them through fifth grade. Of the 594 children with ADHD, those who took medication scored 2.9 points higher in mathematics and 5.4 points higher in reading than unmedicated peers with ADHD, a difference of 0.19 and 0.29 school years, respectively. The finding is important, researchers said, given the high prevalence of ADHD and its strong association with lower academic achievement. However, these gains were not great enough to eliminate the test-score gap between children with ADHD and those without the disorder. This suggests the need for active parent and teacher involvement plus tutoring.

MUSIC INDUSTRY URGED TO TURN DOWN THE VOLUME ON MP3 PLAYERS
Prolonged exposure to loud music can induce hearing loss, and adolescents are increasingly exposed to high-volume music due to the popularity of MP3 players. A growing numbers of adolescents and young adults are suffering from hearing loss and symptoms such as tinnitus and distortion. In the study, “Strategies for the Prevention of MP3-Induced Hearing Loss Among Adolescents: Expert Opinions From a Delphi Study,” researchers determined that it can not be expected that adolescents will perform the necessary protective behaviors. Although the direct responsibility to protect today’s youth lies with the adolescents themselves and their parents, the study authors believe that the music industry, MP3 player and earphone manufacturers, and health authorities also need to implement prevention strategies to create a safer listening environment for adolescent MP3 player users.

OLDER MOTHERS, BREECH BABIES LINKED TO AUTISM
A complex collection of variables, both genetic and environmental, have been associated with the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In the study, “Prenatal, Perinatal, and Neonatal Factors Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorders,” researchers found maternal age, birth order and breech presentation were associated with diagnosis of ASD among 8-year-old children in Utah. Children with autism were more likely to have mothers older than 35, be the first born, and have breech presentation at birth. As part of the study background, the authors reviewed 17 previous studies of prenatal, perinatal and neonatal risk factors published over the past three decades. Wide variation in the design of these studies helps explain the differing results. In this study, researchers use a broader definition of ASD to include the entire autism spectrum.

Editors’ Note: The May issue of Pediatrics also includes the study, “Clinical Assessment and Management of Toddlers with Suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder: Insights From Studies of High-Risk Infants.”

WRITTEN-LANGUAGE DISORDER IS AS COMMON AS READING DISORDERS
Learning to spell and write sentences, with correct grammar, is a critical skill for academic and work-force success. A large study found Written-Language Disorder (WLD) is at least as frequent as reading disorder. “The Forgotten Learning Disability: Epidemiology of Written-Language Disorder in a Population-Based Birth Cohort (1976-1982) Rochester, MN,” included 5,718 children. In this study, WLD was defined as writing skills that fell significantly below those expected, given the child’s age, measured intelligence, and appropriate instruction in spelling and writing. Boys were far more likely to have WLD problems, about 2 to 3 times more than girls. Very limited research has been done on WLD, compared with the voluminous literature on reading disorders. The authors hope their research will increase the efforts of medical and school professionals to identify and provide timely intervention for students with this “forgotten learning disability.”

INADEQUATE SLEEP LEADS TO BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS
Sleep duration has decreased and a third of children in the United States are estimated to suffer from inadequate sleep. The study, “Short Sleep and Behavioral Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Healthy 7- to 8-Year-Old Children,” examined whether decreased sleep leads to behavioral problems similar to those exhibited by children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Decreased sleep was defined as less than 7.7 hours per night. The authors studied 280 children born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1998. They tracked the children’s sleep using parental reporting as well as actigraphs, or devices worn on the wrist to monitor sleep. They found that reduced sleep increases behavioral problems and that maintaining an adequate sleep schedule is likely to be important in preventing behavioral symptoms.

MORE SCREEN TIME AND LESS ACTIVITY CAN MEAN MORE DISTRESS
Health risk behaviors have increasingly been linked to psychological distress in children and adolescents. As part of the 2003 Scottish Health Survey of nearly 1,500 children aged 4 to 12 years and their parents, researchers from the University College London looked at the association between television/screen entertainment viewing time, physical activity levels and psychological distress. Higher amounts of TV/screen time were associated with lower physical activity rates. Both higher screen time and lower physical activity rates were linked with higher odds of psychological distress, including emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer relationship problems. The authors concluded that public health policy should focus on reducing sedentary time and maintaining sufficient physical activity levels in younger children.