ScienceDaily
May 3, 2010

Parental Involvement Key to Preventing Child Bullying

ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) – Communities across the United States are developing programs to address child bullying. New research shows that parents can play an important role in preventing their children from becoming bullies in the first place.

“Improving parent-child communication and parental involvement with their children could have a substantial impact on child bullying,” said Rashmi Shetgiri, MD, MSHS, lead author of a study presented May 3 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Dr. Shetgiri, a pediatrician and researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center Dallas, and colleagues analyzed data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. Among the questions asked of 45,897 parents with children 10-17 years old was whether their child bullies or is cruel or mean to others. Researchers then identified factors that increased or reduced the risk of a child being a bully.

Results showed the prevalence of bullying was 15 percent. Factors increasing the risk included race, emotional/behavioral problems and mothers’ mental health.

African-American and Latino children had a higher likelihood of being bullies compared to white children. In addition, children with emotional, developmental or behavioral problems and those whose mothers reported having less than “very good” mental health also were more likely to be bullies. Other parental characteristics that increased the likelihood of child bullying were getting angry with their child frequently and feeling that their child often did things to bother them.

There also were factors that decreased the likelihood that a child will become a bully. Older children, those living in a home where the primary language spoken is not English and those who consistently did their homework were less likely to be bullies.

Parents also played a protective role. Those who shared ideas and talked with their child, and those who met most of their child’s friends were less likely to have children who bully.

“Parents can also work with health care providers to make sure any emotional or behavioral concerns they have about their child, as well as their own mental health, are addressed,” Dr. Shetgiri said. “Lastly, parents can take advantage of parenting programs that can help them become aware of and manage negative feelings, such as anger, and respond to their child in a non-aggressive manner.”

Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Pediatrics, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Web address:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503074239.htm

ScienceDaily
May 3, 2010

Research Helps End Guesswork in Prescribing ADHD Drug

ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) – Children with ADHD who carry a specific type of dopamine receptor gene respond better to the drug methylphenidate (MPH) than those without the genotype, according to new research from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

The findings come from the first-ever placebo-controlled pharmacogenetic drug trial for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in school age children to evaluate variants of the DRD4 dopamine receptor gene using teacher ratings of children’s symptoms.

The research makes progress toward ending the guesswork now involved in prescribing effective ADHD medications that deliver the greatest symptom improvement and fewest side effects, according Tanya Froehlich, M.D., a physician and researcher in the division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s.

“We don’t have a good way of predicting who will experience great improvement in ADHD symptoms with a particular medication, so we use a trial-and-error approach. Unfortunately, as a result finding an effective treatment can take a long time,” Froehlich said. “With more information about genes that may be involved in ADHD medication response, we might be able to predict treatment course, tailor our approach to each child, and improve symptom response while decreasing health care costs.”

The study was presented May 1 at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver, Canada.

Dr. Froehlich and her colleagues tested 89 children between the ages of 7 and 11 who were not already taking stimulant medications for their ADHD. The researchers analyzed DNA from saliva samples to see if the children carried the 7-repeat version of the DRD4 gene, an increasing target of ADHD gene-based studies that has been linked to increased risk for the condition.

Children in the double-blind four-week trial were given one week each of placebo and three different doses of MPH for their ADHD. Parents and teachers assessed and scored the children’s behavioral symptoms based on the Vanderbilt ADHD Parent and Teacher Rating Scales. In children with at least one copy of the 7-repeat DRD4 gene who took MPH, teachers reported greater improvement in symptoms with increasing doses compared to children who did not have any copies of the 7-repeat gene.

Going forward, Dr. Froehlich said researchers will be studying additional gene variants and their relationship to ADHD medication response. This includes genes that encode MPH drug targets, such as the dopamine transporter, as well as enzymes that help the body metabolize the drug. MPH (which goes by several brand names, including Ritalin and Concerta) is a stimulant frequently used to treat ADHD.

Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Web address: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503174032.htm