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Vitamin D Deficiency Rising Among U.S. Children

According to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, 70 percent of U.S. children are not getting enough vitamin D. Those with the deficiency tend to have higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers. The study, conducted by doctors at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, suggests that children who develop a vitamin D deficiency are at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers when they reach adulthood.

The study collected data on vitamin D levels of more than 6,000 participants ages 1 to 21. Vitamin D deficiency is defined as having less than 15 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood; vitamin D insufficiency is 15 to 29 ng/mL. Results showed that 7.6 million (9 percent) of all Americans are probably deficient in vitamin D. Additionally, 50.8 million (61 percent) of Americans are vitamin D insufficient.

Because it is difficult to get enough vitamin D just from diet, experts suggest a three-way approach to increasing the amount of vitamin D in children:

Eat foods rich in vitamin D (e.g., fish, eggs, and fortified milk).
Add supplements to your diet (400 International Units).
Get 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen. Make sure to set your watch and apply sunscreen after 15 minutes.

Overweight Children at Higher Risk for Asthma

A study conducted by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, Netherlands, suggests that overweight children ages six to seven have an increased risk for asthma symptoms when they are eight years old.

The team gathered information from the parents of 3,756 children from birth to age eight. They asked parents to report their children’s weight and any episodes of wheezing or other breathing problems, as well as use of inhalers. Researchers also tested each child’s sensitivity to inhaled allergens.

By the time children reached eight years of age, 275 or 7.3 percent wheezed, 361 or 9.6 percent had difficulty breathing, and 268 or 7.1 percent had a prescription for an inhaled steroid during the previous year.

Children who were persistently overweight from infancy to age seven were 68 percent more likely to have breathing difficulties and 66 percent more likely to have sensitive airways at age eight than children who were not overweight. However, children who reached a normal body weight by age seven did not appear to have an increased risk for asthma symptoms.

Experts conclude from the study that being overweight may affect a child’s development of asthma symptoms. However, if a previously overweight child develops a normal weight, asthma symptoms are less likely to persist. Development of a normal weight might reduce the risk of asthma symptoms.

Suicide Risk Higher in Teens Who Move Three or More Times

For many years, psychologists have known that moving can be stressful for children. However, a new study published in the Archives of Psychiatry suggests that the impact of moving may be even more devastating than previously thought.

To conduct the study, researchers reviewed data from 4,160 Danish children, ages 11 to 17, who had been taken to hospitals following a suicide attempt, as well as 79 who had succeeded in their suicide attempts. The data was compared to those who have never moved.

The research determined that children ages 11 to 17 were twice as likely to attempt suicide if their families moved three or more times compared to those who had never moved. If the family moved more than ten times, children were four times more likely to attempt suicide compared to those who had never moved.

The teen years are a stressful time. Moves may be more traumatic during this period. Moving can result in loss of connections with peers and introduces worries about the new environment. Teachers can offer parents suggestions for helping students who may be starting the year in a new school, or switching schools mid-year. Students who move may exhibit signs of depression or behavioral changes. Comments related to death or dying should not be ignored. Encourage parents to talk to their children about the move and reassure them that they can keep in touch with old friends through phone calls, e-mail or video conferencing.

Teen ADHD Drug Abuse Increasing

Data evaluated by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital indicate that calls to poison control centers about teens abusing ADHD medications rose 76 percent over an eight-year period. The study compiled data acquired between 1998 and 2005 by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. During these years, calls related to teen abuse of ADHD medications increased from 330 to 581, including four deaths. Overall, 42 percent of teens suffered from moderate to severe side effects, and most sought emergency treatment.

Teens take the medication to experience a feeling of euphoria or to increase alertness. Researchers also believe that teens may be abusing ADHD medications in part because they are FDA-approved; teens therefore believe they are safe. However, misuse of these medications can cause severe, life-threatening symptoms including agitation, rapid heartbeat, and extremely high blood pressure.

Typically, teens who abuse ADHD medications will crush and snort the pills, which speeds up the effects and produces euphoria, as well as the severe side effects. Children who develop serious side effects should be treated immediately. Experts say the study should not deter use of ADHD medications in teens who really need them, because there is evidence that children with ADHD who do not get medication are at risk for abusing illicit drugs.