With Autism, Diet Restrictions May Do More Harm Than Good
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 27 – Children with autism do not have a higher incidence of gastrointestinal problems than other children, a new study has found.
However, autistic children do have a higher rate of constipation and eating issues, such as eating the same foods over and over, according to the study. But any number of factors, including medication, could cause these issues, the researchers said.
The findings appear in the August issue of Pediatrics. Read more...
Related support groups: Autism
Celexa May Not Help Kids With Autism
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 1 – In contrast to the assumptions of some doctors, new research suggests that the antidepressant Celexa does not help relieve repetitive behaviors often seen in children and teens with autism.
But the findings still need to be confirmed by other studies, and at least one autism specialist said the drug has worked well in his patients of preschool age, who are younger than those in the study.
"The jury is still out on how autism should be treated," said the specialist, Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a pediatric neurologist and director of medical autism research at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. Read more...
Melatonin May Ease Sleep Problems in Autistic Children
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, April 17 – Over-the-counter melatonin supplements may help treat sleep problems in children with autism, a small U.S. study shows.
The study included 12 children, aged 2 to 15 years, with autism spectrum disorder, fragile X syndrome (FXS), or both. The participants were randomly selected to take melatonin or a placebo for two weeks. After they completed the first two weeks of the study, the children were switched over to the alternate treatment for another two weeks.
Taking the melatonin increased sleep duration by 21 minutes, shortened sleep-onset latency by 28 minutes, and reduced sleep-onset time by 42 minutes, compared to the placebo. The findings were published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Read more...
Related support groups: Bio-Melatonin, Autism
Court Says Vaccine Not the Cause of Autism
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Feb. 12 – There's no scientific evidence that childhood vaccines such as the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine caused autism in children of parents seeking compensation from a federal fund, a U.S. court ruled Thursday.
The ruling, which involved test cases of children from three different families, was a setback for parents who had filed claims seeking monetary awards from a U.S.-run vaccine compensation program. More than 5,500 such claims have been filed. The claims were reviewed by the Office of Special Masters, part of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Read more...
Study Dispels Link Between Autism and Measles Vaccine
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 – Hoping to dispel long-running concerns that autism is linked to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR), researchers now say a new study shows the childhood vaccine does not raise that risk.
"We are certain that there's no link between autism and the MMR," Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, director of the Mailman School of Public Health Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, said at a Wednesday teleconference.
"We found no evidence that the [gastrointestinal] pathology consistently preceded autism, and we also found that the MMR didn't consistently precede either autism or GI pathology," he added. Read more...
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