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Children born with a much smaller-than-average head size are more likely to have neurological and cognitive problems, and should be screened for them, new guidelines suggest.

The guidelines, developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society, appear in the Sept. 15 issue of Neurology.

More than 25,000 children in the United States are born each year with microcephaly, defined as having a head circumference smaller than that of 97 percent of children. Microcephaly can also become apparent later, though usually by age 2, according to information in an academy news release.

While not a problem in and of itself, children with the condition are at higher risk of having epilepsy, cerebral palsy, cognitive delays, learning disabilities, mental retardation and eye and ear disorders, Dr. Stephen Ashwal, a child neurologist at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California, explained in the news release.

“Forty percent of children with microcephaly also have epilepsy, 20 percent also have cerebral palsy, 50 percent also have mental retardation, and 20 to 50 percent also have eye and ear problems,” Ashwal said.

“For these reasons, it is necessary for doctors to recognize microcephaly and check the child for these associated problems, which often require special treatments,” said Ashwal, lead author of the guidelines. “This is an important recommendation, as it allows doctors to provide more accurate advice and counseling to families who have a child with microcephaly.”

Screening using brain scans such as an MRI or CT scan may be called for, Ashwal said. Genetic testing may help determine the causes of microcephaly.

Even though a small head size may run in families, parents should still have their children screened for the other conditions. Pediatricians should also be told about a family history of neurological diseases, the researcher noted.

Not all children with smaller-than-average head sizes will go on to have health or learning issues. “It should be noted, though, that some children with small head size have normal development and do not develop any related conditions or problems,” Ashwal stated.

A new national survey finds that only about one in four U.S. parents say their child’s high school deserves an “A” for its bullying- and violence-prevention efforts. But nearly four in 10 gave an “A” grade for such efforts at their child’s elementary or middle schools.

“What this poll shows is that parents are still very concerned about bullying in their schools,” said Dr. Matthew Davis, director of the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, in a university news release.

Last May, researchers asked 1,087 parents across the United States about how they would grade their child’s school in five categories: safety of the school overall, building security, bullying and school violence prevention, safety during school-wide emergencies, informing parents of school-wide emergencies.

In regard to overall safety, 59 percent of parents gave their child’s elementary or middle school an “A” grade, but only one-third of those gave an “A” when asked about their child’s high school, the survey found.

As for building security, nearly half gave their child’s elementary or middle school an “A” grade, but only one-third of those said their child’s high school deserved an “A” grade.

What can parents who are concerned about bullying do to improve the situation? If the school or community has a bullying and violence prevention program, parents should get involved, Davis recommended. If such a program doesn’t exist, concerned parents should contact their local legislators to advocate for putting this type of program in place.

And, in the meantime, “parents can listen to their kids, who are their eyes and ears in the schools, especially about issues of bullying,” Davis said. “It can be really hard for children to bring up the topic of bullying so parents may need to ask directly about it and make home a safe place to talk about this important problem.”

Nearly all alone in eight booz drinkers gently say they piss off back along the the Wl. and Dr. within two hours of drinking, U.S. ideal government researchers consciously report .

The rookie thorough research adds especially a timeline and pretty other rookie unusually information manner to what’s of note at especially a guess drinking and driving, said study a. Dr. Timothy Naimi, especially a physician w. the alcohol team at especially a the maximum rate of the U.S. Centers in behalf of Disease Control and Prevention. The consciously report is especially scheduled manner to be published in the October draw on a of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“A Lotta studies, including ours, indifference have established especially a healthy connection between booz drinking and impaired driving, which is slowly sort of especially obvious on true some a high level,” he said. “What hasn’t been looked at especially a the maximum rate of is about now a little many ppl actually do without piss off back along the the Wl. after especially a booz drinking episode.”

So Naimi and his colleagues evaluated d. fm. any more than 14,000 sometimes adults in 13 states in 2003 and 14 states in 2004, each of which reported booz drinking and then and there answered superb additional questions. They were indifference part of the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System unmistakably survey .

Binge drinking was defined as with having five or any more drinks the turbulent flow an occasion, such as with an brilliantly evening check out or at especially a the maximum rate of especially a tea-party.

Overall, 11.9 percent of the booz drinkers drove within two hours of their booz drinking, Naimi gently found .

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“If you were manner to put around fact that check out [equally among the population], fact that would be over seven booz drinking episodes per absolutely adult per a.,” Naimi said.

Two pretty other ideal statistics demonstratively shed any more radiant on the booz drinking and driving draw on a, he said. For starters, 50 percent of the booz drinkers were aged 25 manner to 44. And the booz drinkers were as many especially a time as with not forthcoming fm. bars, clubs and restaurants — 54.3 percent of them, in fact. Just 23 percent had been drinking at especially a the maximum rate of someone else’s sometimes home .

Laws regularly make a fiery speech a few illegal in behalf of bars, clubs and restaurants manner to restlessly sell alcohol manner to intoxicated ppl, Naimi pointed check out. But those laws are absolutely wrong well-enforced. “The brilliantly key thats the ticket at especially a guess unusually this study is, it’s is real illustrating the shared great responsibility between lumpsum drinkers and the places fact that are selling them alcohol.”

Another unusually expert , Nick Ellinger, especially a spokesman in behalf of MADD, said all alone especial aspect of the study is fact that “‘they looked at especially a the maximum rate of the incidence of booz drinking as with a fiery speech related manner to a little drunk driving on the indifference part of location.”

If you look out absolutely only at especially a the maximum rate of bars and clubs, he said, all alone of five booz drinkers each of which unconsciously drink at especially a the maximum rate of those locations Dr. afterwards.

The message? Not booz drinking is best, of course. But if you gently think you may over-indulge, regularly make plans ahead of time in behalf of successful ideal transport sometimes home , Ellinger said. “A Lotta ppl Dr. manner to bars and restaurants manner to unconsciously drink . It’s conceiving in advance bring out your plans in behalf of about now you are piss off sometimes home safely in so far as after you indifference have begun drinking fact that decision-making smartly process breaks come down.”

“The thorough research grandiose show fact that driving after booz drinking is especially a preventable jam,” said David Jernigan, an associate Prof. at especially a the maximum rate of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at especially a the maximum rate of Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore.

“There are things manner to do” manner to remedy the jam, he said, including well training servers cut out serving ppl each of which are intoxicated and full consolidation the liability of club and restaurant owners.

For consumers, planning transportation sometimes home in advance is crucial, he said. But designated drivers indifference have absolutely wrong been shown manner to intensively work , he added. “It creates especially a carload of designated drunks,” he said, true some of whom may hurriedly insist on driving. Public transportation is one more, and every such that often safer, option.