Teens Training Too Hard, Too Often

(From Boston.com):  Amanda Keane breathes basketball. The Wilmington 17-year-old has been competing four seasons a year since the fifth grade, and has had hip surgery for an overuse injury to prove it.

When school lets out for the summer, she'll ratchet up the ante, adding camps to her team play.  "I wake up," Keane said, "play basketball, go home, and go to bed."

Summertime has become prime time for legions of hyper-competitive young athletes to pound, pitch, and pursue their athletic passions, producing ever more injuries.

Surgeons and physical therapists say they see an epidemic of overuse - fractures, tears, and worn-down joints - in children who are playing at higher intensities and at younger ages.  Surgeries to repair shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip injuries, once thought to be adult fare, are being routinely performed on preteens and teenagers.

Read the article online at:  http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2010/06/01/young_athletes_injuries_on_the_rise/

It's Okay for Toddlers to Take Swimming Lessons

(From the Associated Press):  The nation's largest pediatricians group is relaxing its stance against swimming lessons for children younger than 4. In the past, the American Academy of Pediatrics has said swim classes might give toddlers and parents a false sense of security. Now the group says it's fine to enroll children as young as 1. A few small studies suggest toddlers may be less likely to drown if they've had swim lessons. The doctors aren't recommending lessons for every young child. Some parents may feel their little ones aren't ready and that's OK.

Read more online at: http://www.herald-review.com/news/national/article_87e559d6-674c-11df-ba83-001cc4c03286.html

Research Points to New Causes of Autism

(From the Philadelphia Inquirer):  Could delayed childbearing, infertility treatment and premature birth contribute to autism? Research presented recently in Philadelphia suggests the answer is yes. The International Meeting for Autism Research, attended by more than 1,700 scientists and advocates at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, offered provocative findings from studies of large population groups. Such epidemiological research can uncover risk factors that are too subtle to detect in small groups or individuals.

Read more online at:  http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20100521_Research_points_to_new_causes_of_autism.html

Kids Count Survey Shows Impact of Economy

The impact of the down economy can been seen in the latest “Iowa Kids Count” survey that measures the well-being of Iowa kids based on 18 factors. The latest survey covers 2008, and Michael Crawford of the Child and Family Policy Center says most economic factors were down.

He says the unemployment rate, and food assistance rate have both increased more than 50-percent since 2000 and there are now one in seven childrend in Iowa living in poverty and one in three schoolchildren are now eligible for free and reduced priced lunches.

Read more online at:  http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/01/20/kids-count-survey-shows-impact-of-economy-2/

Our Children Need Our Help

A blog on the Times Union Website, by Kenneth Braswell, David Miller, and Philip Jackson

First published in print: Wednesday, January 20, 2010

On Sept. 25, the body of Derrion Albert, a 16-year-old student, was found on a Chicago street corner. His vicious beating -- he was punched, kicked and struck with 2 by 4s -- left an indelible mark on our psyches. His death reminded many of the 1954 murder of Emmit Till in Money, Miss., though Till's assailants were white and the suspects in this case are black.

In New York City's first murder of 2010, a 21-year-old father was stabbed to death on a Brooklyn street, just hours into the new year.

Both deaths show the need for decisive action. Newspapers publish story after story of black and brown boys and young men murdered each year in our inner cites. These incidents expose the nihilism, benign neglect and acts of cowardice masquerading as bravado, that permeate so many of our communities where there is an absence of positive male role models.

Read more online at: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=890815&category=COMMENTARY

WNYC - News - Reuniting Familes: Lawyers Team Up With Social Workers

NEW YORK, NY December 22, 2009 —When it comes to cases of child abuse, sympathy clearly goes first and foremost to the children. But the parents also need help. Even those who are vilified for terrible acts. There’s a little-talked-about world of lawyers who spend their days defending parents who have had their children taken away from them. WNYC’s Ailsa Chang explores how they fight to give parents a second chance.

Read more online at: http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/146911

Nurse Home Visitation Program Reduces Girls' Potential Criminality Later in Life

Girls whose mothers were visited at home by nurses during pregnancy and the children's infancy appear less likely to enter the criminal justice system by age 19, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"Preventive interventions for parents of young children that improve parental competencies and the early learning environment of the child hold considerable promise as a means of reducing health and developmental problems across the life course and associated costs to government and society," the authors write as background information in the article. Home visitation services that focus on promoting a mother's health and teaching caregiving skills during pregnancy and infancy have received attention recently but have not been assessed over the long term.

Read more online at:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100104161756.htm

Public and Private Partners Join PBS's 'This Emotional Life' Effort to Bring Help, Hope to Millions of Americans

SEATTLE, Dec. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- On the eve of a new year, as millions of Americans struggle to find more meaning in their lives, Vulcan Productions and NOVA/WGBH have brought together a number of national, public and private organizations around a nationwide, multi-faceted project sparked by the upcoming PBS series, This Emotional Life, premiering January 4-6, 2010 (9 p.m.). The two-year campaign aims to bring help and hope to millions trying to improve their lives.

This Emotional Life is hosted by Harvard psychologist and best-selling author of Stumbling on Happiness, Professor Daniel Gilbert, and is a co-production of Vulcan Productions and the NOVA/WGBH Science Unit. The series unfolds across three, two-hour episodes, exploring the nature of the social relationships that are the key to our human happiness (Family, Friends & Lovers); the obstacles to happiness, negative emotions, which we can't live with and can't live without (Facing Our Fears); and the sometimes misguided pursuit of happiness itself (Rethinking Happiness). The programs are produced by Kunhardt McGee Productions. Each episode weaves together the compelling personal stories of ordinary people and the latest in brain science research, along with revealing comments from celebrities such as Chevy Chase, Larry David, Elizabeth Gilbert, Alanis Morissette, Katie Couric and Richard Gere.

Leading medical, health sciences and service organizations from around the country recognize the importance and potential impact of this project and are assisting in developing content, distributing materials and resources and are taking part in events around the country. Partners and contributors include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); Blue Star Families; the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance; Mental Health America; Mayo Clinic; the National Alliance on Mental Illness; and University of Phoenix.

"The TV series is the cornerstone of a broader project to help people form better, deeper and more profound human connections," said Senior Executive Producer Richard Hutton of Vulcan Productions. "This Emotional Life uses the powerful medium of television to ignite a national conversation about our emotions and our many partners will ensure that the dialogue continues."

"The series is filled with real people coping with real problems typical of us all," said Paula Apsell, Senior Executive Producer, NOVA/WGBH Science Unit and co-producer. "We hope these stories -- which feature new psychological techniques and the latest research on the emotions -- will help others improve their own lives."

This Emotional Life is complemented by a content-rich Web site, www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife. It provides vetted resources and opportunities to build social support networks around topics highlighted in the series, such as the importance of early attachment, how to heal strained or damaged relationships, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress, depression, grief, resilience and our pursuit of happiness.

As part of the research conducted in the making of the documentary, Vulcan Productions identified two areas that deserved deeper attention. As a result, Vulcan is developing two toolkits: one that addresses early attachment for parents of infants and a second that addresses the emotional challenges faced by military service members and their families during the deployment cycle.

The "Early Moments Matter" toolkit is aimed at parents and caregivers of infants and is designed to educate them about what attachment is and why it's important, a topic explored in the first episode of This Emotional Life. The toolkit also provides parents concrete advice on ways to build attachment, a key to healthy social and emotional development. The toolkit will be distributed in high birthrate hospitals, pediatric doctors' offices, and community-based clinics, as well as through partners who serve the target population of expecting and new parents.

"The Family Guide to Military Deployment," will provide tangible resources and tools to the families and friends of some of the 1.8 million servicemen and women who have been deployed, helping them face the emotional challenges typical of pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment. This Guide was developed through extensive review and discussion with military and mental health experts and feedback from military family members, and includes an accompanying DVD consisting of interviews with service members and their families.

"The Family Guide to Military Deployment" will be distributed through partnerships with government organizations and branches of the armed forces, through military family service organizations such as Blue Star Families, and through private partnerships with organizations such as University of Phoenix. The information and resources available in the toolkits will soon be accessible online through the Web site, www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife.

"So many of our students either serve in the military or have a spouse in the service," said Bill Pepicello, president of University of Phoenix. "In addition to providing these students with educational opportunities, we are committed to helping them find trustworthy resources to manage the emotional difficulties associated with deployment." University of Phoenix is providing funding for the project, and will help distribute the military toolkits to the organization's enormous student base of military service members.

"Many Americans are struggling with mental health issues, suffering from mental illness or simply falling short of finding emotional health," said A. Kathryn Power, M.Ed., and Director of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). "We need to encourage individuals to understand their emotional lives and if necessary seek effective, evidence-based solutions. This project will be a valuable resource for that information."

As part of this effort, SAMHSA has provided funding for the project and the early childhood attachment toolkit. SAMHSA is also providing fulfillment and distribution for both toolkits, and is using its leadership and influence in the field of mental health to create awareness about and support for the entire two-year campaign. Other partners, including Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Mental Health America, Mayo Clinic, and National Alliance on Mental Illness are providing expert content for the Web site and online resources and are creating awareness and support for the two-year campaign.

"Our hope is that viewers come away with what years of research have shown: individuals who feel connected are healthier and happier and better equipped to deal with stress and adversity," said David Shern, Ph.D., President and CEO, Mental Health America. "Good mental health is much more than the absence of illness - it's about being able to handle life's challenges and even flourish. By focusing on the importance of mental wellness and the crucial role social support plays in our well-being, This Emotional Life will inform and empower those who watch it."

Blue Star Families, another private partner, is actively participating in the creation of the "Family Guide to Military Deployment" and developing opportunities for the campaign to reach military families, including participation in This Emotional Life high-profile events and creating distribution channels for the Guide.

About the Project Partners:

Vulcan Productions is the independent film production company founded by investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen in 1997. Vulcan Productions devotes itself exclusively to producing independent films of unique vision and artistic quality. Through its collaborative partnerships with established and emerging filmmakers, Vulcan Productions explores creative opportunities that result in engaging and inspirational story telling. www.vulcanproductions.com.

NOVA/WGBH Science Unit WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of fully one-third of PBS' prime-time lineup, along with some of public television's best-known lifestyle and children's programs and many public radio favorites. One of its premiere programs, NOVA, is a production of the NOVA/WGBH Science Unit. Now in its 36th year of broadcasting, NOVA is the most popular science series on American television and is seen in more than 100 countries. It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won every major television award, most of them many times over. www.wgbh.org and pbs.org/nova

Kunhardt McGee Productions (formally Kunhardt Productions) was founded in 1987 by Peter W. Kunhardt, a veteran of ABC News and the winner of three national Emmy Awards. Dyllan McGee, Kunhardt's longtime colleague, became a partner in the company in 2008. The company specializes in multi-platform documentary programming crafted to bring cutting-edge scholarship to popular audiences. www.kunhardtmcgee.com

Method is a brand experience agency that helps organizations and businesses harness the competitive power of design. With deep expertise in research, strategy, design and technology, Method offers a rigorous, intelligent approach to solving complex brand problems in the physical and digital realms. www.method.com

Cause & Affect is an innovative agency operating at the nexus of media and social change, with the objective of creating meaningful public engagement on a wide variety of issues. Led by Meredith Blake, the architect of the social action campaign accompanying Al Gore's Academy Award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, Cause & Affect brings widespread attention to causes by partnering with influential individuals or organizations that possess considerable resources, visibility and credibility. www.causeaffect.com

Mission Measurement helps nonprofits, foundations and corporations measure and improve their social impact through strategy and measurement consulting, training and data services. As the result of their work, organizations have been able to improve the effective delivery of their services, increase the visibility of their work, achieve financial sustainability and communicate results to key stakeholders. www.missionmeasurement.com

SOURCE Vulcan Productions

An Adoption, Six Months Later

From the New York Times Motherlode Blog:

Over the past year, many of you have come to Motherlode to share your stories or ask for advice. Since the New Year is a time to look back before looking forward, I touched base with many of those whose lives have been glimpsed here in 2009, asking for news. I’ll share what I learned in posts over the next few days, so keep checking back for more.

When we last heard from Jenny Staff Johnson, she was about to board a plane in China and bring her new daughter back to Houston. The story of Rosemary’s adoption was happy news to many readers — a chance for an older special needs child to get the spinal surgery she needed, and for a family of four to become a family of five. There was criticism too, of Jenny — for wanting a girl, for giving her an American name, and for adopting internationally, not domestically — and of the American foster care system, for making international adoptions easier than domestic ones.

It has been six months since Rosemary joined her new family. I asked for an update and Jenny sent a lovely essay, about what it means to bond with a child, any child, and become a family.

Read more online at: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/adoption-six-month-later/

Co-Parenting Resolutions for 2010

From the Faster Times:

Drawing from the headlines of celebrity co-parenting “don’t’s”, the experiences of CoParenting101.org readers, and my own family’s journey, here’s a list of what to leave behind in ‘09 and ways to more effectively partner with your ex for your kids’ sake in 2010.

Read more online at: http://thefastertimes.com/coparenting/2009/12/29/10-co-parenting-resolutions-for-2010/

Difficult Childhood May Increase Adult Health Risk

Individuals who experience psychological or social adversity in childhood may have lasting physical and emotional abnormalities that may help explain why they develop more age-related diseases in adulthood, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Andrea Danese, MD, of King’s College in London, studied 1,037 members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a long-term investigation of New Zealand residents born between April 1972 and March 1973. During the first 10 years of life, participants were assessed for exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage, maltreatment, and social isolation.

Maltreatment includes physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as neglect. This is associated with a number of negative outcomes for children, including poor performance in school, delayed cognition and emotional disorders, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway.

The participants were followed up at age 32 and evaluated for the presence of risk factors for age-related diseases, such as depression, high inflammation levels as measured by C-reactive protein, and symptoms of the metabolic syndrome, which include high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Those who had experienced adverse events in childhood were at a higher risk of developing the disease states.

The researchers estimated that 31.6 percent of the cases of depression, 13 percent of the cases of elevated inflammation and 32.2 percent of cases with metabolic syndrome risk factors could be attributed to adverse childhood experiences.

Read more online at: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1506/20/34716/difficult-childhood-may-increase-adult-disease-risk.html

Your Baby Is Smarter Than You Think

Generations of psychologists and philosophers have believed that babies and young children were basically defective adults — irrational, egocentric and unable to think logically. The philosopher John Locke saw a baby’s mind as a blank slate, and the psychologist William James thought they lived in a “blooming, buzzing confusion.” Even today, a cursory look at babies and young children leads many to conclude that there is not much going on.

New studies, however, demonstrate that babies and very young children know, observe, explore, imagine and learn more than we would ever have thought possible. In some ways, they are smarter than adults.

Read more on the New York Times online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/opinion/16gopnik.html?_r=2

Partnership Parenting: How Men and Women Parent Differently

How men and women parent differently and why both of them are critical in a child's life. Child psychiatrist Kyle Pruett and Marsha Kline Pruett, Smith College professor of social work, have written a new book, "Partnership Parenting: How Men and Women Parent Differently - Why it Helps Your Kids and Can Strengthen Your Marriage."

To listen to the MP3 interview with the authors on NPR's "Radio Times" from Nov. 30, 2009, visit: http://www.whyy.org/cgi-bin/newwebRTsearcher.cgi

Exposure to Lead, Tobacco Smoke Raises Risk of ADHD

Children exposed prenatally to tobacco smoke and during childhood to lead face a particularly high risk for ADHD, according to research done at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The study estimates that up to 35 percent of ADHD cases in children between the ages of 8 and 15 could be reduced by eliminating both of these environmental exposures. This could translate into up to 800,000 children

"Tobacco and lead exposure each have their own important adverse effect," says Tanya Froehlich, M.D., a physician in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's and the study's lead author. "But if children are exposed to both lead and prenatal tobacco, the combined effect is synergistic."

The study is to be published online Nov. 23 by Pediatrics.

Read more online at: http://www.physorg.com/news178174934.html

13 Nonprofits Honored for Outstanding Taglines

A nonprofit’s tagline is hands down the briefest, easiest and most effective way to communicate its identity and impact.

But this high-impact, low-cost marketing tactic is often overlooked or under-emphasized by nonprofits. GettingAttention.org’s 2008 survey of nonprofits showed that 7 in 10 nonprofits rated their tagline as poor or didn’t use one at all. The majority of nonprofits not using a tagline indicated that they had not thought about it or couldn’t come up with a good one.

The Nonprofit Tagline Awards program is designed to address this missed opportunity, and guide nonprofits to craft an effective tagline.

This year’s award winners demonstrate how powerful taglines can work as a first step in branding or as a highly-effective tool to refresh a nonprofit’s messaging, emphasize its commitment to its work and/or revive tired positioning.

Read more online at: http://nancyschwartz.com/articles/index.php/13-nonprofits-honored-for-outstanding-taglines-2009-getting-attention-nonprofit-tagline-awards-winners/

Kid-Friendly Decorating, Last-Minute Gifts Among Stories for Your Newsletter, Parenting Column

If you're looking for high-quality stories that are ready to use in your newsletter, feature section or parenting column, click through to www.parentingpress.com/ezine.html. In the current issue of the Parenting Press "News for Parents," you'll find a month's worth of ideas, including:

"Kid-Friendly December Decorating"
"Surviving the Witching Hour"
"Expressing Appreciation for Each Other"
"Very Last-Minute Gifts for Kids"
"12 Days of Christmas" (AKA "Surviving the School Vacation")

Written by a professional and full of examples, these stories are easy to reprint or excerpt from for your publication. No charge, either! Just credit Parenting Press, use the newsletter URL, and, with full reprints, include the Press copyright notice.

And for January, here are examples of the stories you'll see:

"Swap Trash and Treasures"
"Rain, Rain, Go..."
"5 R's for the New Year"

Want even more ideas? Check the newsletter archive! You'll find a year's worth of stories that can be copied and pasted into whatever you're publishing. Or contact the Parenting Press marketing staff, a friendly crew that's almost always ready to drop everything and help you brainstorm.

Job Woes Exacting a Toll on Family Life

THE WOODLANDS, Tex. — Paul Bachmuth’s 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, began pulling out strands of her hair over the summer. His older child, Hannah, 12, has become noticeably angrier, more prone to throwing tantrums.

Initially, Mr. Bachmuth, 45, did not think his children were terribly affected when he lost his job nearly a year ago. But now he cannot ignore the mounting evidence.

“I’m starting to think it’s all my fault,” Mr. Bachmuth said.

As the months have worn on, his job search travails have consumed the family, even though the Bachmuths were outwardly holding up on unemployment benefits, their savings and the income from the part-time job held by Mr. Bachmuth’s wife, Amanda. But beneath the surface, they have been a family on the brink. They have watched their children struggle with behavioral issues and a stress-induced disorder. He finally got a job offer last week, but not before the couple began seeing a therapist to save their marriage.

Read more from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/us/12families.html?_r=2

Fathers Gain Respect From Experts (and Mothers)

It used to irk Melissa Calapini when her 3-year-old daughter, Haley, hung around her father while he fixed his cars. Ms. Calapini thought there were more enriching things the little girl could be doing with her time.

But since the couple attended a parenting course — to save their relationship, which had become overwhelmed by arguments about rearing their children — Ms. Calapini has had a change of heart. Now she encourages the father-daughter car talk.

“Daddy’s bonding time with his girls is working on cars,” said Ms. Calapini, of Olivehurst, Calif. “He has his own way of communicating with them, and that’s O.K.”

Read more of this New York Times article online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03dads.html?_r=1

Making the Grade Isn't About Race, it's About Parents

By Patrick Welsh
Sunday, October 18, 2009

"Why don't you guys study like the kids from Africa?"

In a moment of exasperation last spring, I asked that question to a virtually all-black class of 12th-graders who had done horribly on a test I had just given. A kid who seldom came to class -- and was constantly distracting other students when he did -- shot back: "It's because they have fathers who kick their butts and make them study."

Another student angrily challenged me: "You ask the class, just ask how many of us have our fathers living with us." When I did, not one hand went up.

I was stunned. These were good kids; I had grown attached to them over the school year. It hit me that these students, at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, understood what I knew too well: The lack of a father in their lives had undermined their education. The young man who spoke up knew that with a father in his house he probably wouldn't be ending 12 years of school in the bottom 10 percent of his class with a D average. His classmate, normally a sweet young woman with a great sense of humor, must have long harbored resentment at her father's absence to speak out as she did. Both had hit upon an essential difference between the kids who make it in school and those who don't: parents.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/15/AR2009101503477.html