Heritage Behavioral Services Blog

Down Syndrome A 2012 study done by researchers in Iceland indicated that as many as 20% to 30% of cases of autism and schizophrenia may be linked to fathers' advanced age. Unlike findings on conditions such as Down syndrome, the Iceland study found the mother's age made no difference. For that study, researchers looked at genomes of 78 sets of parents and offspring.   While most studies on this subject simply compare children born to young fathers with those of older fathers, D'Onofrio calls that method "comparing apples and oranges, because we know that young fathers differ on many things compared to older fathers." Instead, D'Onofrio and his colleagues compared siblings; looking at the outcomes when the same man has a child in his younger years and then again later in life. "The working hypothesis is that as men get older and their sperm continue to replicate, that there are more chances of having mutations in the base pairs of the

Girls Genetically Protected from I/DD New research adds to the theory that girls are more naturally protected than boys from developing autism and other developmental disorders. While a small number of genetic mutations seem to be enough to manifest symptoms in boys, a new study published  recently in the American Journal of Human Genetics suggests that far more extreme genetic anomalies must be present in girls to warrant a diagnosis. The finding could help explain why autism is nearly five times more common in boys. “This is the first study that convincingly demonstrates a difference at the molecular level between boys and girls referred to the clinic for a developmental disability,” said Sébastien Jacquemont of the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland, the study’s lead author. “The study suggests that there is a different level of robustness in brain development, and females seem to have a clear advantage.” For the study, researchers looked at DNA sam

Bill Gates: Asperger's suspect Asperger is a syndrome that still stigmatizes brilliant, yet socially challenged people, but a recent study of eight young prodigies links their genius with the disorder and proves that Asperger could become a trait in great demand, professionally speaking.  As the study shows, all prodigies have exceptional working memories, a characteristic that people with Asperger syndrome master and score high in autistic traits like attention to details. In short, the smartest children that become brilliant professionals could have some genetic trait or learned skill which helps them maintain focus without suffering from other defects that generally accompany autism spectrum disorders.

News Break !!!! Painkiller linked to ADHD Expectant mothers suffering from fever or headache may face a new dilemma when they open the medicine cabinet. Pregnant women who take acetaminophen -- best known under the brand name Tylenol -- might be more likely to have a child with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new long-term study suggests........... "The strongest effects were seen when a woman said she had taken it for six weeks or more, and even more strongly at 20 weeks or more," Ritz added. "We always thought acetaminophen is kind of harmless and not so bad to take during pregnancy, and probably it is, if you take it once or twice. But if you take it repeatedly, you see these risks creeping up.".............