Early Childhood Archives - Page 5 of 6 - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)
Dads play key role in child development
July 22, 2016 | Emily Taylor
Recent research by University of Michigan researchers tracks influence of both parents on child development. Researchers found that parents’ stress and mental health issues affect how parents interact with their children and, subsequently, childhood development.
How to care for infant mental health
June 3, 2016 | Emily Taylor
Story on the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for babies for their future mental health. Includes quotes from Louise Newman, professor of psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and Sally Watson, national president of the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health.
Read more here >>.
Cities and children’s mental health
June 2, 2016 | Emily Taylor
A recent study of 2,232 British twin children from birth to age 12 looked beyond the immediate family to determine how urban environments and psychosis are associated. Results showed 4.4 percent of non-urban 12-year-olds experienced at least one definite psychotic symptom, and 7.4 percent of urban children did. Researchers recommend cities and neighborhoods implement programs to support greater social cohesion.
Read more here >>.
Smoking While Pregnant: Risks to children’s mental health
June 1, 2016 | Emily Taylor
A recent study led by Dr. Alan Brown of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) shows a link between mothers who smoke during pregnancy and the likelihood that their children will develop schizophrenia.
Read more here >>.
Resource: CDC Fact Sheet on ADHD in Young Children
May 16, 2016 | Emily Taylor
The CDC has published a fact sheet for parents and healthcare providers regarding treatment recommendations for young children (ages 2-5 years) diagnosed with ADHD. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends healthcare providers first refer parents of young children with ADHD for training in behavior therapy before trying medicine, about 75% of young children with ADHD received medicine as treatment.
Read more here >>.
Factors that Help Children Thrive in the Face of Adversity
May 12, 2016 | Emily Taylor
Research shows that people who experience four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as economic hardship, exposure to violence or the death of a loved one, are more likely to have lasting physical and mental health problems. But in a new study, “The Relative Contributions of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Healthy Environments to Child Flourishing,” researchers found that even when children were exposed to ACEs, certain family and community strengths – most importantly access to patient-centered, coordinated medical care, mothers in excellent mental health and community supports – appeared to have a protective effect on health, social and behavioral outcomes.
Read more here >>.
CDC: Social Factors Associated with Children’s Behavioral Health
April 19, 2016 | Emily Taylor
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new study looking at health care, family, and community factors related to mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDDs) among children aged two to eight years in the U.S. Researchers found that one out of seven children aged two to eight years were reported to have a diagnosed MBDD. Study findings highlight specific health care, family, and community factors that could be addressed through collaborative policy and programmatic efforts at national, state, and local levels.
Read the full article here >>.
Texting Intervention May Increase Parent Engagement
April 19, 2016 | Emily Taylor
Results of a six-week intervention study show promising potential for mobile technology as a tool to increase parent-child activities. Parents of children from 6 months to 5 years old enrolled at Early Head Start and Head Start centers were sent text messages encouraging them to engage with their children around a variety of topics, and to take time for themselves. At the end of the six-week intervention, parents were surveyed and parents who received the text message intervention engaged in more activities (singing, pretend play, storytelling, etc.) than parents who did not receive the text messages.
Read more about the study here >>.
The Case for Science-Based Innovation in Early Childhood
April 5, 2016 | Emily Taylor
In this new video, Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., the Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, describes the mission of the Center and its vision for using science to innovate in the early childhood field and fundamentally change the lives of children facing adversity.
Watch the video here >>Witnessing Violence Harms Children’s Mental Health
March 30, 2016 | Emily Taylor
In this article, Daniel J. Flannery, Professor and Director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, Case Western Reserve University and Mark I. Singer, Professor of Family and Child Welfare, Case Western University, highlight study results on the negative impact of exposure to violence on children’s mental health. For example, high levels of exposure to violence (either as witness or victim) as children has been connected to greater levels of depression, anger and anxiety, as well as greater desensitization to violence.