U.S. Birth Weights on the Decline

Thirteen-pound babies may make headlines, but they aren't the norm. In fact, U.S. infants are getting smaller, according to researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute's Department of Population Medicine, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Their findings, published in the February 2010 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, suggest that birth weights in this country have declined during the past 15 years. The study analyzed data on birth weight, maternal and neonatal...

Bipolar Diagnosis Jumps in Young Children

The research suggests that while it is still rare to prescribe powerful psychiatric drugs to 2-year-olds, the practice is becoming more frequent. The data, compiled from 2000 to 2007, and published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, could inform testimony at the upcoming Boston-area murder trials of the parents of 4-year-old Rebecca Riley. The girl died of an overdose of mood-stabilizing medication in 2006. A Boston child psychiatrist, Kayoko Kifuji,...

Tobacco Smoke and Learning Disabilities

Exposure to tobacco smoke may significantly increase the odds of children having a learning disability, according to a new study by a professor at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS), a part of Georgetown University Medical Center. "Contribution of Tobacco Smoke Exposure to Learning Disabilities" appeared online Jan. 7, 2010, in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. "Our work suggests that children who have been exposed to...

Earlier Bedtimes May Help Protect Adolescents Against Depression and Suicidal Thoughts

A study in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep found that adolescents with bedtimes that were set earlier by parents were significantly less likely to suffer from depression and to think about committing suicide, suggesting that earlier bedtimes could have a protective effect by lengthening sleep duration and increasing the likelihood of getting enough sleep. Results show that adolescents with parental set bedtimes of midnight or later were 24 percent more likely to suffer from depression...

Op Ed: Excluding Teachers Hinders Education Gains

Massachussetts has one of the finest education systems in the world. Our students are not only first in the nation on measures of math and reading, but also performed better than students in every European country on a recent international assessment of math and science skills. Teachers are justifiably proud of these accomplishments. Teachers also know firsthand that significant achievement gaps remain: Minority, low-income, and special-needs students, along with English language learners,...

Dyslexia: Some Very Smart Accomplished People Cannot Read Well

Contrary to popular belief, some very smart, accomplished people cannot read well. This unexpected difficulty in reading in relation to intelligence, education and professional status is called dyslexia, and researchers at Yale School of Medicine and University of California Davis, have presented new data that explain how otherwise bright and intelligent people struggle to read. The study, which will be published in the January 1, 2010 issue of the journal Psychological Science, provides a...

Gene Discovered In Childhood Language Disorder Provides Insight Into Reading Disorders

The recent discovery of a gene associated with specific language impairment (SLI), a disorder that delays first words in children and slows their mastery of language skills throughout their school years, offers new insight into how our genes affect language development. The finding, published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders is the result of a collaborative team effort headed by Mabel Rice, Ph.D., a University of Kansas professor and NIDCD-funded scientist. The gene, KIAA0319,...

'Day Of The Special Educator' Recognized In California

Special educators throughout the state of California were honored on December 3, 2009, as districts around the state celebrated the Day of the Special Educator.   CARS+, the California Organization for Special Educators, sponsored the day along with support from the California School Board Association (CSBA), California Teachers Association (CTA), Family Empowerment Centers, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), and the newly formed Special Education Collaborative.

On December 2, 1975,...

Editorial: Over-Punishment in Schools

New York City joined a national trend in 1998 when it put the police in charge of school security. The consensus is that public schools are now safe. But juvenile justice advocates across the country are rightly worried about policies under which children are sometimes arrested and criminalized for behavior that once was dealt with by principals or guidance counselors working with a student's parents. Children who are singled out for arrest and suspension are at greater risk of dropping out and...

Are States Following Stimulus Plan Rules For Schools?

Creating and saving jobs while boosting investment in the future are among the top goals of the Obama administration's $787 billion economic stimulus plan. And according to a preliminary report on stimulus funding for schools by the Department of Education and the Domestic Policy Council, the stimulus plan has created jobs. State governments have created and saved at least 250,000 education jobs -- and restored nearly all their projected education budget shortfalls for fiscal years 2009 and...