PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 6-May-2014 Contact: Debbie Jacobson djacobson@aap.org 847-434-7084 American Academy of Pediatrics VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA Some children with autism appear to be developing normally when they are very young. They babble or even talk, make eye contact with their parents, and crawl and walk on schedule. Then suddenly, these skills seem to vanish. Described as developmental regression, this loss of language, motor or social skills occurs more often in black and Hispanic children compared to white children, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Researchers analyzed data on 1,353 preschool children with autism enrolled in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network database between March 2008 and December 2011. The database includes demographic and medical information on each child enrolled at one of 17 locations across the United States and Canada. Information collected included whether parents reported that their child had lost skills. Results showed that 27 percent of children experienced developmental regression according to their parents. Black children were twice as likely to have parent-reported regression compared to white children. Hispanic children were about 1.5 times more likely than white children to lose … Continue reading →

Children with autism from certain backgrounds are more likely to develop typically before suddenly losing critical skills like speech and the ability to make eye contact, researchers say. The phenomenon known as developmental regression is twice as common in black children and occurs 50 percent more often in Hispanics as compared to white kids, according to findings scheduled to be presented Tuesday at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. For the study, researchers looked at data on 1,353 kids ages 3 to 6 with autism who participated in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network a group of 17 coordinated-care centers across the United States and Canada between March 2008 and December 2011. Overall, parents of 27 percent of children reported that their kids had regressed, but stark differences along racial and ethnic lines persisted in the data even when researchers controlled for insurance status and the education level of the childs caretaker, the study found. Lost skills are very difficult to recover, said the studys lead author, Adiaha Spinks-Franklin of the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston. Evidence suggests that African-American and Hispanic children are often diagnosed with autism at later ages … Continue reading →

Published: Monday, May 5, 2014, 11:00p.m. Updated 3 hours ago Nancy Gillespie was driving her kids to school in September when she went blind. She had no warning of the powerful stroke that temporarily blocked her vision, and she doesn't remember much right before she passed out. Her daughter Mara, now 12, jumped out to dial 911 and summon a neighbor. When I woke up, I was in the intensive care unit, probably until the next morning, said Gillespie, 49, of Shaler, whose recovery will take center stage on Tuesday at PNC Park during a Pirates game against the San Francisco Giants. I think it was the early diagnosis that saved my life, definitely. Though Mara's quick action got Gillespie rapid attention to avoid permanent injuries, thousands of Americans aren't so fortunate. About 80 percent of stroke victims miss a three-hour window for a critical emergency treatment, often because loved ones don't recognize the symptoms, said Larry Schaer, associate director at the Peoria, Ill.-based Strike Out Stroke campaign. The national stroke awareness program will make a Pittsburgh debut just before the Pirates game, where Gillespie, her family and her doctors from the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Allegheny General Hospital will … Continue reading →

Two Cork hospitals are ahead of the international curve in administrating clot-busting treatment to patients within the vital three hours post-stroke. Stroke physician Dr Kieran OConnor said those fortunate enough to receive thrombolytic therapy in the immediate aftermath of a stroke had a one-in-seven chance of complete recovery. Dr OConnor, who heads up the acute stroke unit at the Mercy University Hospital, said internationally, 5% of patients were getting the vital treatment within the recommended time. Ireland was ahead of the curve, he said, because the national figure was about 10%, while at the Mercy, figures for last year were at 12%. Its one of the big success stories of the HSE national clinical care programmes, he said. There was also a big focus on early rehabilitation, which Dr OConnor said helps many people who previously wouldnt have recovered and now make a full recovery. In Cork, a coordinated regional service is provided, with two dedicated acute stroke units, one at Cork University Hospital and one at the Mercy, which was officially opened at the weekend. A rehabilitation service is provided at St Finbarrs Hospital. That coordinated care, together with the provision of multidisciplinary teams means the patients chance of … Continue reading →

By Dr. Ali Zentner Global News Last week I saw a 76-year-old woman called Marjorie for Type 2 diabetes. Marjorie would describe herself as relatively healthy. She has had controlled Type 2 diabetes for the last five years and was referred to me for management of her diabetes and obesity. In short, Marjorie wanted my help to lose weight. During a routine consultation and physical exam I took her blood pressure. Her pulse was irregular. An electrocardiogram performed in my office confirmed that Marjorie had atrial fibrillation. Marjorie is without symptoms: she feels no palpitations, has no chest pain or shortness of breath. She is among the 350,000 Canadians with atrial fibrillation the most common heart rhythm disorder. It occurs, as the name implies, when the atria the top chambers of the heart fibrillate. See the original post: Do you have atrial fibrillation? What you should know about treatment … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 5-May-2014 Contact: Sid Dinsay sid.dinsay@mountsinai.org 212-241-9200 The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine In the largest family study on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to date, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, along with a research team from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm Sweden and King's College in London found that individual risk of ASD and autistic disorder increased with greater genetic relatedness in families that is, persons with a sibling, half-sibling or cousin diagnosed with autism have an increased likelihood of developing ASD themselves. Furthermore, the research findings showed that "environmental" factors unique to the individual (birth complications, maternal infections, etc.) were more of a determinant for ASD than previously believed. The population-based, longitudinal study, titled "The Familial Risk of Autism," was led by Abraham Reichenberg, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and was first published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "The findings from this extensive, prospective study will help improve how we counsel families with children who suffer from ASD and autistic disorder," said Dr. Reichenberg. "Currently, ASD affects nearly one percent of all children … Continue reading →