News

Books on autism and ASD

A description of 11 books for children with autism and autism spectrum disorders.

When I was growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950s, kids started their preparations for Halloween after dinner on October 31. We would find an old mask, or make one out of a paper bag; wealthier kids might buy one. I would grab a pillowcase to hold my "loot" and take off. Neighbors would give us store-bought candy or homemade cookies or cupcakes. It didn't occur to anyone that an unwrapped, unsealed item could be dangerous. Older kids were the real danger: they would steal our goodies and often beat us up.

This 9-year-old girl has extensive psoriasis and is currently receiving narrowband UVB phototherapy for her body plaques. Her mother has insisted on covering her daughter's face during treatment and on having the girl use sunscreen on her face whenever she is outdoors to prevent premature aging.

Reports on medication research published in general news media often fail to disclose that the research received pharmaceutical company funding and frequently refer to drugs by brand name rather than using the generic name, according to an article published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Excess testosterone exposure during pregnancy reduces the reproductive health of male offspring in sheep, according to a report first released online July 31, in advance of publication in an upcoming issue of Endocrinology.

The use of biventricular assist devices may be an effective method for sustaining small children awaiting heart transplantation, according to research published Sept. 30 in a supplement issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Treatment patterns of psychotropic medication in children and adolescents vary widely between the United States, the Netherlands and Germany, according to an article in the Sept. 25 issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

During the 2006-2007 flu season, influenza vaccination coverage increased among adults, but only one in five children aged 6 months to 23 months were fully vaccinated, according to two reports from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have expanded their recommendation for flu vaccination coverage to include all patients ages 6 months through 18 years.

The U.K. health care system is failing to encourage women to breast-feed, and a national breast-feeding promotion strategy is urgently required if breast-feeding rates are to improve, according to an editorial published online Sept. 25 in BMJ.

Diabetic women whose blood sugar is continuously monitored during pregnancy are more likely to have better glycemic control in the third trimester, and their babies have a lower birth weight and reduced risk of macrosomia, according to research published Sept. 25 in BMJ Online First.