Guidelines and suggestions to help food service workers in children's day care centers plan, prepare, and serve a variety of nutritious, tasty, and attractive meals and snacks are presented. The following topics are included (subtopics are listed in parentheses): (1) preparation of food (seasoning foods; preparing meat, fish, vegetables, and…

Presents national estimates of the prevalence and impact of chronic childhood conditions using proxy responses for 17,110 children under age 18 years. Thirty-one percent of the children are affected by chronic conditions, which include respiratory allergies, repeated ear infections, and asthma. Psychosocial conditions moderate the impact of these…

This study examined sleep patterns, sleep problems, and their correlates in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Subjects consisted of 167 ASD children, including 108 with autistic disorder, 27 with Asperger's syndrome, and 32 with other diagnoses of ASD. Mean age was 8.8 years (SD = 4.2), 86% were boys. Parents completed a…

The brain gets fed first! That is an important idea that directly relates to the nutrition/cognition connection in schools. As the education community faces the challenges of childhood obesity, malnutrition of the brain, food allergies, disorders of metal metabolism and biochemical imbalances, educators are eager to learn about how to guide…

Professional requirements for physicians specializing in allergy were estimated to assist policymakers in developing guidelines for graduate medical education. In estimating service requirements for allergy, an allergy Delphi panel reviewed reference and incidence-prevalence and utilization data for 21 conditions that affect the ambulatory care…

Six times since 1964, the Public Health Service has issued formal reviews of the scientific evidence which links cigarette smoking to disease and premature death. Each successive review, including this one, has seemed to confirm and strengthen the conclusion of the 1964 Report, that cigarettes are a major cause of death and disease. In the first…

Presented is a family's account of the testing and treatment of their behavior disordered son found to have a cerebral allergy. (SB)

Discusses current nutritional trends and the ways our bodies convert foods into chemicals that may affect thought, mood, perception, and behavior. A review of current literature suggests that nutritional deficits and food allergies may adversely alter emotional adjustment. Examines implications for counseling and suggests training and program…

Describes how one urban elementary school turned itself around to become one of the best in the country by using handwriting as a common focus. The emphasis on handwriting served as a springboard for student achievement across the curriculum. A sidebar presents "Diagnosis through Handwriting," a guide to detecting children's allergic reactions.…

Food allergies can kill a child, and camp offers many opportunities for things to go wrong. One camp with many allergic campers gathered information from parents on the extent of allergies and medications needed; educated staff about the seriousness of allergies, food preparation procedures, and snacks; and prepared an emergency plan. Family,…

Summarizes current law on the legal responsibilities of day-care centers for special-needs children under Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504. Examines cases involving reasonable modifications for HIV-positive children. Also examines cases determining reasonable accommodation for children with allergic reactions, diabetes,…

In no area of developmental pediatric practice is there more controversy regarding the choice of treatment than related to children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Complementary and alternative medical therapies (CAM) are often elected because they are perceived as treating the cause of symptoms rather than the symptoms themselves. CAM…

Many children with autism display reactions to auditory stimuli that seem as if the stimuli were painful or otherwise extremely aversive. This article describes, within the contexts of three experimental designs, how procedures of systematic desensitization can be used to treat hypersensitivity to auditory stimuli in three young children with…

Environmental allergens are major triggers for pediatric asthma. While children's greatest exposure to indoor allergens is in the home, other public places where children spend a large amount of time, such as school and day care centers, may also be sources of significant allergen encounters. The purpose of this article is to describe schoolroom…

The following papers were presented at a symposium on clinical nutrition for the child who is chronically ill or handicapped: (1) "Food Allergy"; (2) "Anemia and the Chronically Ill or Handicapped Child"; (3) "Nutrition and Neurotransmitters--Clinical Implications"; (4) "The Importance of Lipid Type in the Diet after Burn Injury"; (5) "Advances of…