Putting a little pep in the steps of Down`s syndrome infants, a team of Indiana University researchers is studying whether treadmill lessons will hasten the childrens` ability to walk.
Infants with Down`s syndrome begin walking between 13 and 48 months of age, far later than normal children. With a grant from the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the husband-wife team of Dale and Beverly Ulrich will try to speed up walking skills in Down`s syndrome children.
Earlier walking could have a positive impact on the children`s social, play and cognitive skills, and in alleviating family stress. Preliminary experiments show that with their weight supported, Down`s syndrome infants will move their feet in a walking fashion while on a slowly moving treadmill.
CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS STUDIED Do some people drink coffee or tea to prevent caffeine withdrawal symptoms? A team of researchers from the University of Vermont at Burlington believes they do, giving the nearly 9 out of 10 American adult coffee and tea drinkers some food for thought.
In a study of 21 people who drank from three to seven cups of coffee a day, the researchers found that after drinking decaffeinated coffee for one day, seven of the volunteers reported such symptoms as headaches, drowsiness and fatigue.
In a followup study, 17 of the 21 consistently chose caffeinated coffee over decaffeinated during a two-day period. ”Our results indicate that some coffee drinkers exhibit common signs of a drug dependence-they self-administer coffee for the effects of caffeine, have withdrawal symptoms on cessation of caffeine, and experience adverse effects from caffeine intake,” Dr. John R. Hughes reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Further studies are needed to clarify whether caffeine use can be a form of a drug dependence, he said.
FEWER CASES OF STRESS DISORDER FROM GULF WAR Despite having large numbers of troops from groups thought to be more vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder, veterans of the Persian Gulf war had fewer cases of psycholgical trauma than troops from World War II or the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Preliminary findings show that of 2,800 deactivated Persian Gulf war veterans seen at veterans` facilities, 240 were treated for psychiatric problems.
The reason for the decline is unclear, but the shortness of the war and its successful outcome may be factors. Based on the experience from other wars, the department said it will maintain an outreach program for gulf war veterans who develop psychological problems.
The gulf troops were unique because they included women, National Guard and Reserve troops called to active duty with little advance warning.
TV FOOD ADS LINKED TO YOUNGSTERS` OBESITY Banning TV food advertising aimed at children could help turn around the growing problems of obesity and high cholesterol levels in youngsters, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The academy called for eliminating food commercials in a revised policy statement, saying that children cannot distinguish between programs and advertising and that these commercials have been linked to obesity and high cholesterol levels.
”Food commercials broadcast during children`s programming often promote high-caloric-density foods that may contribute to the energy imbalance that results in obesity,” the academy said.
In 1987 food commercials accounted for 71 percent of network ads, with cookies, candy or other snacks accounting for 34 percent, it said.
PARENTS URGED TO CHECK CHILDREN FOR SCOLIOSIS Bathing suit season is a good time for parents to examine their children for scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that affects about 4 percent of 10-to- 14-year-olds to some degree. Spinal curvature becomes more noticeable when a youngster bends over, but it can also be detected if one shoulder appears to be higher than another, the child leans to one side, or clothes are uneven.
Untreated scoliosis can become a disfiguring deformity that is difficult to correct, but treated early, major complications can be avoided, said Dr. John Sarwark of Children`s Memorial Hospital. Braces can often correct the problem in mild cases, but surgery may be required when the problem is severe, he said.
BREAST CANCER CAN ALSO AFFECT MEN Breast cancer does not affect women alone. That`s the message of Dr. Carl Mansfield, chief of radiation oncology and nuclear medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, who warns that because men do not think about breast cancer it is usually detected in advanced stages.
While 175,500 American women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, 900 men will hear the same diagnosis, and they are much more likely to die from the disease, Mansfield said.
The biggest risk factor for men is a family history of breast cancer, which means having had a sister, mother or other blood relative on either side of the family who has had breast cancer, he said.
