A new children’s study suggests that children who view adult-targeted TV and movies may become sexually active earlier in life. The early onset of sexual activity among teens may relate to the amount of adult content children were exposed to during their childhood, according to a new study released by Children’s Hospital Boston. Based on a longitudinal study tracking children from age six to eighteen, researchers found that the younger children are exposed to content intended for adults in television and movies, the earlier they become sexually active during adolescence. The findings are being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meetings on Monday, May 4 in Baltimore. [continue reading…]

Here’s a related study (to the previous post) on managing routine sleep problems in children, which can be a testing time for parents as well as being highly stressful for the child. Add a child with anxiety to the mix and a good night’s sleep for everyone can be elusive if not impossible.

Now a new study led by Associate Professor Jennifer Hudson, from the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University published this month in the international journal, Behaviour Research and Therapy, sheds light on the sleep patterns of children diagnosed with anxiety, by comparing them to non-anxious children. The children in the study ranged in age from seven to twelve years old.

Most childhood problems associated with sleeplessness, such as delays going to sleep, night-time fears and difficulty sleeping alone, gradually resolve themselves as the non-anxious child ages. But for some children, anxiety about a range of issues leading to difficulty sleeping or falling asleep, may persist and can eventually cause more serious problems later in life if left untreated. Link to continue reading

Source: Macquarie University

A recent Finnish study suggests that children’s short sleep duration even without sleeping difficulties increases the risk for behavioral symptoms of ADHD. During the recent decades, sleep duration has decreased in many countries; in the United States a third of children are estimated to suffer from inadequate sleep. It has been hypothesised that sleep deprivation may manifest in children as behavioral symptoms rather than as tiredness, but only few studies have investigated this hypothesis. [continue reading…]