| |
| |
|
Parenting Information |
|
|
|
Can Mineral Deficiencies Lead to Behavioral Problems in Children?
A while ago I received this story from David in England, who wrote: I am following your work with great interest as I am trying to get more information about the subject of ADD / ADHD for a friend of mine who was put in charge of such a child at school. She was given no training for this work nor was she given any backup. She was relieved to find that she was not the only one with this problem! Although the child has finally been moved to another specialized school, it is likely that she will meet the problem again and so I am forwarding any relevant information to her that I can find. Best regards, and carry on the good work, David The story reported that a study on 135 males between the ages of 3 years old and 20 years old, each with a history of violence, has found that such individuals are much more likely to have high levels of copper and low levels of zinc compared with non-violent people. "Scientists believe such minerals influence behaviour because the body uses them to make chemical transmitters in the brain." The article refered to the work of Dr. William Walsh of the Health Research Institute in Naperville, Illinois. Then the article went on to report, "preliminary experiments have shown that altering the diet of violent males can improve their behavior... It usually takes two to three months to overcome the copper-zinc imbalance. Copper and zinc tend to be concentrated in the hippocampus of the brain and the hippocampus is known to be associated with stress control." Another study by Dr. Neil Ward, a senior lecturer in analytical chemistry at Surrey University, looked at Zinc deficiencies in juvenile offenders. "We think that it is a direct result of exposure to heavy metal toxins such as cadmium and lead which prevent the absorption of zinc. The people we studied had a poor diet with excessive amounts of sugar and alcohol, which is also known to reduce zinc absorption," Ward said. A question to consider: How would your children ever be exposed to high levels of heavy metals like cadmiun or lead? The most common way would be if you smoke in the house. Smoke from cigarettes has high levels of cadmium. I have tested several children in my practice for heavy metals exposure, and each one from the home of a parent that smokes had high levels of cadmium. High lead exposure is uncommon in the western United States, but is more common in older neighborhoods of the mid-west and the eastern United States where homes were often painted with lead based paints in the recent past. Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.
MORE RESOURCES:
Interaction of Parenting Experiences and Brain Structure in the ... - Archives of General Psychiatry
Parenting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Secrets To Improving Childrens Behaviour Most parents at some stage are driven to distraction by one or more of their children's annoying habits or behaviours, whether it is a toddler who continually whines, a school-aged child who leaves clothes lying around or a teenager who uses a less than pleasant vocabulary.How to affect change is a challenge for many parents. The Effects of Televised Sexual Content on Adolescents According to a September 2004 study by the RAND Corporation,"Adolescents who watch large amounts of television containing sexualcontent are twice as likely to begin engaging in sexual intercourse inthe following year as their peers who watch little such TV." Inaddition, the National Institutes of Health-funded study found thatthese children's sexual behavior was akin to those adolescents who were9 to 17 months older, but who watched only average amounts of TV withsexual content. Naming Your Baby Is Part of The Challenge of Being a Parent Baby names are as diverse as the people to whom they are given. Choosing the right name for your baby can be a very challenging yet fun exercise! This is my story. Normal and Logical Consequences Successful parents have learned to be both firm and kind at the same time. They set boundaries and work with their children to help them understand that they will follow through with appropriate action if inappropriate behavior continues. COMMITMENT: Teaching Children the Lessons of a Lifetime It's been said, time and again, that for a child to learn what is most important, he must be shown the lessons through example, not through words. And, if we are to nurture certain traits within our children, we must first develop those traits in ourselves. Why Creativity and Self-Expression are Important to Little Kids Can you draw a straight line? Most adults don't consider themselves artistic. Parents do, however, worry about their toddler's art abilities. How Kids Learn To Cooperate In Video Games -- A Guide for Parents and Teachers A great many parents are concerned that the electronic games their kids play are teaching the kids "negative" messages such as aggression, violence, and isolation from real people. I want to illustrate here how computer and video game playing, can have positive effects on kids. Healthy Eating For Children: Six Simple Rules Rule #1 Make Every Bite Count!Everything your child eats should be nutritious. Children can be picky and inconsistent, so make sure that what they do eat is really good for them. Teaching Your Child Safety Q. What is the best way to teach safety awareness to young children?A. Mothers Day Tribute As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a different perspective to ponder.Being a parent and a mother are not necessarily the same. Hair Care for Children Salon visits can be scary experiences for small children: They are boring, full of strangers and strange smelling products, you are being ordered to sit still for ages, whilst some idiot is doing terrible things to your hair which you didn't want to happen in the first place. Life is sooo unfair!So how do you as a parent, avoid, annoying the stylist, upsetting your child and getting yourself stressed? Well this is where your best child psychology skills come into play! Sometimes your child will have unwarranted fears and you have to help to overcome them. Parenting Your Teenager: What Parents Say About Teens What is hard for parentsLetting them learn from their mistakes.Trying not to fix their problems. A Good Preschool Idea The successful preschool idea behind many successful preschool learning centers is thorough all round planning and well-chosen staff members. Any preschool idea that does not begin with sound financial planning and in-depth budgeting knowledge will probably fail. Discipline Discipline is a necessary part of parenting yet it makes most parents feel uncomfortable. Some of those old disciplinary phrases such as 'spare the rod and spoil the child', 'teach them a lesson' or 'set children straight' are enough to send shivers up the spine of any reasonable-minded parent. Four Tips For Alleviating Back To School Anxiety Back to school preparations are in full-swing. Soon, the first bell of the year will ring and the sounds of summer will be replaced by the voices of school-aged children bemoaning the end of their summer and trying to sort out their new school routines: What building am I in? Who's my teacher this year? Do I really have to take calculus?For most children, going back to school signifies a move from the lazy, hazy days of summer to a regimented school routine and poses unique challenges that must be overcome. Should Your Child Watch TV News? Surprising Opinions of Top Anchors KIDS AND THE NEWSMore than ever, children witness innumerable, sometimes traumatizing, news events on TV. It seems that violent crime and bad news is unabating. 10 Signs That Your Teen Is Using Drugs Did you know that over 75% of teens aged 16-17 report that obtaining marijuana is "easy or fairly easy?" Or that 25% of youths between 12 and 17 say the same of crack?When children start using drugs they usually exhibit many different signs that parents need to watch out for. Unfortunately, many parents often write-off these signs as normal adolescent behavior and as a result they don't realize that their child is into drugs until it is too late. Jammin with Your Kids: The Wonderful World of Music Does music need to be "dumbed-down" for kids? The answer became quite clear to me and my husband as we observed how our own child responded to complex melodies and varied musical styles in the first months of her life.When I embarked on the recording of my children's music CD ("Wake Up & Go To Sleep", Artsong Music) shortly after my daughter was born, it didn't occur to me to create a happy little watered down collection of songs made just for young listeners. What You Should Know About Counseling for Attention Deficit Disorder At the ADHD Information Library we are big believers that you should not just be giving a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medication without also providing some sort of counseling or therapy. There are good, long-term studies that show that medication by itself over the long term is not a whole lot better than no treatment at all (Satterfield, et. 15 New Years and Holiday Resolutions For Parents Have you made your usual New Year resolutions? You know the resolutions where you turn over a new leaf to get fit, steer away from junk food and start a savings plan. While you are reflecting on past bad habits and setting new directions for your personal life consider taking stock of your parenting as well.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
