A Passing

Thank you, Jan, for giving my children and me some of our very favorite stories.

"New" Research Indicates that Fish Oil May Be Beneficial To Mental Health

I'm sorry for sounding like a broken record, but, when i read an article like "Fish Oil's Mental Health Link,
" (Newsday 2/16/12 At A14), I have to wonder exactly how deeply buried in the sand are the heads of those in the "mainstream" science world.

"There is some preliminary data that suggests [fish oil] has success in treating a variety of psychiatric disorders, but we're just beginning to do a lot of the formal studies," states Dr. Barbara Cornblatt of the Feinstein Institute for the Medical Research.

Funny, the nutritionist that worked with Robert some fifteen (15) years ago knew all this.  And, what about the Lancet article that looked at the effect of essential fatty acids (fish oil) on cognitive development that was written in 1998?  Indeed, there are many article about the benefits of fish oil and mental health and abilities.

Indeed, if anyone is truly interested, I invite you to contact Tina Stevens, our nutrition consultant, at the center.

Spanking . . .

Oh, it's been a while!

Hi, everyone.  Sorry, it's been so long between blogs.  By way of explanation, I have been updating and editing my book about Robert.  It's finally finished.  I did submit it to an agent who said, and I quote, that the story was "remarkable and the material . . . compelling and very well done."  However, she passed on the project.  She felt that because I had neither a "platform" nor the ability to "publicize myself," she could not successfully place the book.

Sounds like a Catch-22 -- I can't be published unless I'm already famous or published. . . . 

So, right now, I'm cleaning the book up and getting it ready for self-publication.  It's got a tremendous amount of research in it, and I'd hate to see it go to waste.

Okay, so much for the update.

Did anyone catch the article entitled, "Spanking Linked to Mental Health?"  (Newsday, Feb. 7, 2012 at A38).  The Canadian Medical Association Journal concluded that "virtually without exception . . .  physical punishment was associated with higher levels of aggression against parents, siblings, peers and spouses."  The study also noted that anxiety, depression and drug and alcohol abuse also were linked to physical punishment.

I must admit, that when Robert was young, in desperation to control his behavior, he got spanked a couple of times.  Thankfully, we stopped this practice almost immediately.  Even though it was the way I was brought up (and I like to think I'm fairly well adjusted), and we were "doing it for his own good," there was just something so abhorrent about striking another person -- especially your own defenseless child -- that we couldn't do it.

So much for "spare the rod, spoil the child," huh?

Spark Halloween 2011

Another Smashing Halloween Party at Spark Development Centers!

Coffee and ADHD?

                        Did anyone catch Good Morning America today?  A mom, who suspects her son has ADHD (there’s been no formal diagnosis, but she stated that her son is very active and has trouble concentrating and finishing tasks. . . .) gives him two, four ounce cups of coffee, each day.  She says it calms him down and helps him to focus.

                        Well, according to GMA, this has the “Mommy Blogs buzzing” with many people questioning this mother’s actions.

                        Really??  You have got to be kidding me.  How can giving a child eight ounces of coffee a day (that’s just one cup) be controversial when giving a child a drug like Ritalin raises few, if any, concerns?

            Understand a couple of things.  First, Ritalin, and drugs like it such as Concerta and Adderall, are STIMULANTS designed to control impulsivity.  Thus, the caffeine in the coffee is most likely just acting in the same manner.  Indeed, the literature talks about many adults “self-medicating” with caffeine.

Second, and far more importantly, amphetamines like Ritalin, can have VERY serious side-effects.  Aside from the fact that Ritalin is in the same drug classification as cocaine (and, you can check this out), Ritalin, and drugs like it, have been associated with stroke, chromosome damage, and even death.  And, let’s not even mention the other psychotropic medications (including antidepressants) that often are prescribed for these kids.

New research points out the benefits of dietary changes and supplementation when it comes to treating disorders like ADHD.  Cut out the artificial sweeteners, the artificial colors, cut back on the sugar, and see what happens.  Look into supplementation, especially with essential fatty acids.  Talk to a nutritionist with experience in this field, and find out what a difference diet can make.  (Not the first time this was discussed:  http://sparkdevelopment.blogspot.com/2011/08/importance-of-nutrition.html).

Kudos to this mom for finding something far safer than heavily controlled, often abused, pharmaceutical concoctions to help her son.

The Importance Of Nutrition

In updating the research for my book about our experiences with our son Robert, I came across a study that highlighted the importance of examining diet when it comes to addressing disorders such as ADHD.  A far cry from the “diet has absolutely nothing to do with Robert’s problem” proclamation by those doctors who treated Robert some fifteen years ago, it now seems that “nutritional management” is a CRUCIAL component of any treatment plan.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is multidetermined and complex, requiring a multifaceted treatment approach.  Nutritional management is one aspect that has been relatively neglected to date.  Nutritional factors such as food additives, refined sugars, food sensitivities/allergies, and fatty acid deficiencies have all been linked to ADHD.  There is increasing evidence that many children with behavioral problems are sensitive to one or more food components that can negatively impact their behavior.  Individual response is an important factor for determining the proper approach in treating children with ADHD.  In general, diet modification plays a major role in the management of ADHD and should be considered as part of the treatment protocol.

 Schnoll R, Burshteyn D, Cea-Aravena J, “Nutrition in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a neglected but important aspect.” Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2003 Mar;28(1):63-75.

                        Indeed, dietary factors including, but not limited to, (i) breastfeeding practices; (ii) the intake of processed foods, artificial dyes and sweeteners; (iii) food sensitivities and allergies; and (iv) essential fatty acid deficiencies all have been linked to the symptoms associated with, and/or the treatment of, disorders like ADHD.

                        If you’d like to learn more (and there is plenty more to learn), I invite you to visit or website (www.sparkcenters.com), contact our exceptionally knowledgeable nutritionist, Tina Stevens, for an appointment, or read my book (when I get it published . . .).

Autsim and the Environment

Coming on the heels of the Cold Spring Harbor research that supposedly indicted “bad” genes as the cause of autism, are two new studies published in the July 4^th edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry that indicate environment plays the key role.  While a surprise to some scientists, it comes as no surprise to us.

In an article published in Newsday entitled “Environment May Be Especially Key to Autism: Study,” by Jenifer Goodwin, it is reported that:

[T]he . . .  environment -- and this could be in utero or in early life -- has to play a major role [in the incidence of autism].

 

According to [the researchers’] calculations, . . . genes account for 37 percent of the risk of "classic," or severe autism and 38 percent of the risk of milder autism spectrum disorders. By the same calculations, environmental factors would explain 55 percent of the risk of autism and 58 percent of the risk for an autism spectrum disorder, the Stanford team concluded.

And, what environmental factors could be at issue?  Well, the second study found a connection between the occurrence of autism and antidepressants taken by mothers during pregnancy:

            In another study also published in the online issue of the journal, researchers found a 

            two-fold risk of autism spectrum disorder among children whose mothers took 

            antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during

            pregnancy, and that the risk was more than three times higher if the mothers took

            the drugs during early pregnancy, compared to children without the disorder.

            SSRIs include widely used antidepressants such as Celexa, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft.

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/environment-may-be-especially-key-to-autism-study-1.3003680 (July 4, 2011).