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You searched for autism
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Health
Autism screening is a valuable tool experts use to determine if a child is following typical development patterns and whether or not further testing for autism should be done. It’s important for parents to be informed about autism screening to know...
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Blog
The mommy/pediatric/autism world was buzzing this weekend over a report regarding Jenny McCarthy’s son Evan. If you follow Jenny or The View or the autism community or the anti-vaccine “movement,” then you know Jenny McCarthy has...
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Health
Even as the number of children with autism continues to rise, diagnosis remains difficult. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 68 children has autism, up from 1 in 100 just a few years ago. A new study...
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Health
When a child does not pass an autism screening, or any time a parent expresses concerns about autism, the next step should be referral for a formal evaluation to confirm or rule out autism. Diagnosing autism, however, can be a complex process that...
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Health
Latino children are less likely to be diagnosed with autism than white children—and when they are diagnosed, they are significantly older, according to a study in the September 2013 issue of Pediatrics. Lead study author Katharine Zuckerman, MD,...
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Health
Researchers have discovered that decline of infant eye contact during the first few months of life may be an early sign of autism. A December 2013 study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that infants at 2-6 months who...
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Blog
Last month, the US Department of Health and Human Services released a new report that asked families a whole host of questions related to wellness and disability. In 2014, over 11,000 parents were surveyed with each answering questions about one...
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Health
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) effects an estimated 1 in 68 children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every girl who is diagnosed with ASD, more than four boys are diagnosed. This is partly because ASD can look very...
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Health
Finding out your child has autism can be emotionally trying and overwhelming. After diagnosis, parents are likely filled with uncertainty and may wonder what to do next. The tips below are a starting point to help guide you in the right direction...
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Pregnancy
A review of babies born via caesarean section has some possibly sobering news: they might be at slightly higher risk for developing autism spectrum disorders. The review, published in the October edition of the Journal of Child Psychology and...
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Health
The thought that your child may have autism can cause apprehension in any parent, especially since current research shows that autism is on the rise. Parents are often the first to sense a problem with their child’s development, so it’s important...
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Health
According to new estimates by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 59 children have been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a 15 percent increase since the last numbers were released in...
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Health
Just as autism has begun to be better understood, the American Psychiatric Association has recently changed the diagnosis of autism, leaving many parents confused about how the new diagnosis works and how it will affect their family. Here are some...
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Health
While advanced maternal age has been linked with increased risk for child health problems, researchers are learning more about how paternal age may impact a child. Increasing paternal age has been linked with increased risks for some mental health...
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Health
With all the options available for autism treatment, it can be hard to know where to turn. While there is no proven cure for autism, most experts agree that treatment should start early and should include structured, intensive therapy (25 hours per...
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Health
A new version of the popular autism screening tool, the M-CHAT, has been released. The new screening tool, the M-CHAT-R, or the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised, is an updated questionnaire that evaluates the risk of possible...
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Health
Autism and the spectrum of disorders it involves can range from mild to very severe. Although children with autism can be affected in different ways and exhibit behaviors that are unique to them, there are some symptoms that are common among them....
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Health
You’ve no doubt heard of the controversy surrounding vaccines and autism, and perhaps wondered if there’s any truth to the idea that childhood vaccines either cause autism or are somehow implicated in the onset of childhood autism. Rest assured...
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Health
One of the possible symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is an unusual sensitivity to external sensory factors such as sound, smell, taste, and/or touch. Some children with autism react unusually to these types of sensory inputs. They may be...
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Health
In November 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an article discussing gastrointestinal problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of the article was to discuss how common or uncommon GI disease was in...
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Health
Playing on a playground is a rite of passage for many children. From the fast-paced trip down the slide to lining up with friends to wait a turn on the monkey bars to yelling in delight as a swing reaches new heights, the playground is intended to...
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Community
Interesting and scary article. While I am on the side of the fence totally against GMOs (because it’s not natural) I realize that we should not jump on the bandwagon each time something like this surfaces. I’d like to get a...
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Community
I have had a hard time with the realization that many people are still unsure of whether vaccines can cause autism. The evidence shows that this link does not exist and pro-vaccine parents can be a powerful source of information for parents who are...
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Community
I wanted to point this news article out to you. While, it raises some important questions, there is no doubt that labor induction or augmentation is necessary in certain cases. What do you think?...
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Health
If your child is having communication issues, it’s only natural to wonder: “Is it autism or could it be something else?” Instead of autism, some children are being diagnosed with social communication disorder. Social communication disorder (SCD) is...
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Blog
A couple of weeks ago, my family was traveling out of town. I was driving and my wife and almost 2-year-old daughter were buckled up in the back seat playing with some toys. My wife pulled out a brand new container of Play-Doh®. As my daughter was...
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Blog
One of medicine’s greatest scandals, the debate over the MMR vaccine and autism, almost became prime viewing entertainment at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Known for hosting some of the world’s most talented established and...
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Health
Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) is a seizure disorder that is classified as a form of epilepsy. About 25-30 percent of children who have LKS do not experience overt or obvious seizure symptoms, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing...
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Blog
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your child got the measles? As pediatricians, I know my husband and I never did. Despite receiving medical training in different parts of the world, neither one of us had actually ever even seen a...
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Health
ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. Simply put, ABA applies behavioral principles to everyday situations that will over time increase or decrease a targeted behavior. Specifically the aim is to improve what we call, socially significant...
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Parenting
Babies at 10 months are full of personality and are learning how to use their voices and faces to impress and delight the people around them. They have likely gained good control of their arms and hands and can grasp and pull objects in order to...
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Parenting
It’s not uncommon for pediatricians to hear the fear in a mother’s voice when describing her two-year-old’s newest pastime: head banging. Is this normal? Will my child’s brain be injured? Is this a sign of autism? First, you shouldn’t drive...
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Health
Music is a language shared and understood by all ages — and more recently, it is being used to help toddlers with developmental delays. Music therapy is the use of music to help toddlers in their growth and development, including toddlers with...
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Parenting
Medical visits can be stressful for any child, but for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a visit to the doctor can become downright dreadful. Children with ASD are often uncomfortable with unfamiliar places and people and have a hard...
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Pregnancy
For many women, pregnancy is a time when they scrutinize everything that goes into their body for the sake of their developing baby. With flu season officially here, now is a good time to dispel a few myths about the illness and reiterate the...
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Health
Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a rare neurologic disorder that causes developmental delays, seizures, and abnormal movements. People who have the syndrome tend to laugh and smile frequently, but they usually have delayed speech. The condition is also...
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Health
It’s common for children to walk on the balls of their feet when they are first learning to walk. While most children outgrow this “toe walking,” children who continue to walk on their toes beyond the toddler years should be evaluated for an...
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Baby
As you baby gets older, you’re discovering a whole new set of parenting questions. You’ve started thinking about socializing your baby and how the next stage — talking, walking, and fierce independence — might look. Here are eight common questions...
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Health
A child infected by the pertussis bacteria, wracked by violent and rapid coughing spasms, will only stop coughing when all air has been expelled from the lungs. Deprived of air, the child must inhale as much oxygen as possible—causing the telltale...
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Health
We all perceive and understand the world through our senses: smell, touch, sight, taste, sound, and movement—but not everybody experiences the world in the same way. For example, some people may love the sensation of sand beneath their feet, while...
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Parenting
Parental stress affects children of all ages. In fact, studies have shown that parents’ stress can put children at risk for behavioral, emotional, and learning problems, as well as health issues such as asthma. One recent study demonstrated that...
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Toddler
Is your child hitting all their milestones on time—and so what if they aren’t? What would that mean? As a parent, worrying about developmental milestones can make you a little nuts, because it’s only natural that kids all develop at different rates...
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Health
Vitamin C is the darling of preventing the common cold … or is it? Surprisingly, little research has validated the role of vitamin C in preventing or treating the common cold — however, there are plenty of reasons to make sure your child is getting...
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Blog
To be a parent in the age of social media is no joke. Parents are bombarded with information about the best way to raise their children, some factual and accurate, but it’s mixed in are half-truths, political agendas, and downright lies. It...
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Blog
1. Babies be like… The best six seconds of my week this week, hands down. 2. You made me a mother Boba manages to capture a mama’s feelings toward her child beautifully. Watch this on the days you’re losing sanity. 3. The 19 stages of pregnancy...
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Community
My almost 3 years old son has recently ben diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. He only says a handful of words. So im trying to learn ASL (sign language) and trying to teach him. Any one have tips tricks hacks that made communicating with your...
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Community
My daughter shakes her hands from the wrist when she gets excited. I thought she would outgrow it but she is not 18 and she does it as much as ever. It is especially pronounced when she is watching an exciting movie. It looks very strange and she...
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Pregnancy
Most people are aware of the role vaccines play in helping to eradicate large-scale outbreaks of deadly diseases, but what about in pregnancy? Should vaccines be avoided when you’re pregnant? Or do you need them to protect your baby? The...
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Baby
While it’s fun to look for milestones and celebrate your baby’s new expressions, actions, and movements, it’s also important to remember that your baby is an individual and will develop at his or her own pace. However, there are some fun moments in...
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Toddler
While the 2000s had carbs, the 2010s diet enemy appears to be gluten. When celebrities and health experts started speaking out about celiac disease and gluten intolerance, some people hopped on the bandwagon and decided to go “gluten-free.” Many of...
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Blog
To apologize for the two tearjerkers I just had to include, I present to you lots of laughs. 1. Couple uses #ShareACoke to announce their pregnancy This creative pregnancy announcement is probably the best thing to come out of the #ShareACoke...
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Blog
Today I am screaming from the rooftops: Do NOT, I repeat Do NOT make your own baby formula. Why, you ask? It seems a popular magazine published an article containing a mom celebrity du jour who was promoting her new book. In it, she touts her...
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Blog
As an OB/GYN, I get to be involved in the happiest moments in many families’ lives: the birth of their babies. However, the territory comes with some sadness, too — infertility, miscarriages, preterm birth, and the challenges that a growing family...
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Blog
We’re not going to include Harlem Shake, hot dog legs or twerking here, although some might argue they lead to parenthood. Instead, we’re sharing our favorite parenting memes of 2013—the funny, the relatable, and the ones that make mamas and...
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Blog
Everything from the happiness of parentless people to how to handle crying babies in restaurants, see the best parenting memes and videos this week. 1. You can’t a marry a man you just met After my daughter told me she likes bad boys the way...
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Blog
“Don’t forget to do your homework!” As a pediatric speech therapist, these words come as second nature for me to say to the parents of my little clients. I used to utter them without much regard for what they meant to parents. I have always placed...
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Blog
An increasing amount of parents are choosing to delay or spread out vaccines for their infants and toddlers. Dr. Allison Kempe and her colleagues at the University of Colorado School of Medicine found that in a typical month, 93 percent of...
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Blog
Pregnancy can be a time of joy, but also a time of worry. Am I eating the right foods? Am I gaining the correct amount of weight? Am I allowed to dye my hair? These questions and more are really just the first way a woman becomes a mom: by...
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Health
The manufacturing process of vaccines is complex but can be oversimplified into a few steps. First, a bacteria or virus (or a part of one) is inactivated so that it can no longer make us sick but can still cause our immune system to recognize and...
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Parenting
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Toddler
Alicia’s son hated to eat. He wailed and became inconsolable whenever she introduced a meal. She was told his behavior was normal and to just keep exposing him to different baby foods. She tried and tried, but it didn’t improve. Going with her gut,...
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Toddler
Your toddler is now rapidly approaching his or her second birthday — a major milestone. Many parents are surprised to see that their children seem to enter the Terrible Twos early, long before hitting that big milestone. In most children, this is a...
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Health
The roar of a passing train. The feeling of a warm, fuzzy sweater on your arms. The taste of a cold ice-cream sandwich. The bright colors of a rainbow. Experiencing each of these senses requires complex activity in your brain’s nervous system. But...
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Parenting
While there is no perfect way to parent, plenty of support and education is available through parenting classes to help answer common parenting questions and let you know that you are not alone in the daily struggles you face. What type of...
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Health
Marijuana, or cannabis, has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes for many years. Doctors prescribe medical marijuana to treat numerous symptoms and diseases, including seizure disorders, muscle spasms, nausea, cancer, weight loss, and poor...
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Parenting
A lot of parents ask why they should consider mental health services for their young children. First, one in five children, from birth to age 18, has a diagnosable mental health disorder. Second, preschool children are three times more likely to be...