Donnelly JE, Greene JL, Gibson CA, et al. Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC): a randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish overweight and obesity in elementary school children. Prev Med. 2009 Oct;49(4):336-41. E

BACKGROUND: Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC) was a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish increases in overweight and obesity in elementary school children.
METHODS: Twenty-four elementary schools were cluster randomized to the Physical Activity Across the Curriculum intervention or served as control. All children in grades two and three were followed to grades four and five. Physical Activity Across the Curriculum promoted 90 min/wk of moderate to vigorous intensity physically active academic lessons delivered by classroom teachers. Body Mass Index was the primary outcome, daily Physical activity and academic achievement were secondary outcomes.
RESULTS: The three-year change in Body Mass Index for Physical Activity Across the Curriculum was 2.0+/-1.9 and control 1.9+/-1.9, respectively (NS). However, change in Body Mass Index from baseline to 3 years was significantly influenced by exposure to Physical Activity Across the Curriculum. Schools with > or =75 min of Physical Activity Across the Curriculum/wk showed significantly less increase in Body Mass Index at 3 years compared to schools that had <75 min of Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (1.8+/-1.8 vs. 2.4+/-2.0, p=0.02). Physical Activity Across the Curriculum schools had significantly greater changes in daily Physical activity and academic achievement scores.
CONCLUSIONS: The Physical Activity Across the Curriculum approach may promote daily Physical activity and academic achievement in elementary school children. Additionally, 75 min of Physical Activity Across the Curriculum activities may attenuate increases in Body Mass Index.

The Long-Term Effects of Breastfeeding on Child and Adolescent Mental Health: A Pregnancy Cohort Study Followed for 14 Years

Prolongar la lactancia beneficiaría la salud mental de un hijo hasta la adolescencia. Así lo señala el equipo de Wendy H. Oddy, del Instituto de Investigación en Salud Infantil Telethon, en West Perth, tras realizar una investigación en la que han participado 2.366 hijos de colaboradores en el estudio Raine (Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort Study), que evaluó la salud mental de cada niño a los 2, 5, 8, 10 y 14 años.

Y es que la lactancia ayudaría a los bebés a superar mejor el estrés y hasta reforzaría el apego entre la madre y el hijo, dos beneficios de largo plazo.

De la muestra analizada el 11% nunca había recibido leche materna, el 38% la había tomado por menos de seis meses y la mitad, durante seis meses o más.

Las madres que optaron por la lactancia por menos de seis meses eran más jóvenes, tenían menos educación formal, eran más pobres, estaban más estresadas y fumaban más que aquellas que optaron por el amamantamiento prolongado. Además, esas mujeres eran más propensas a sufrir depresión posparto y sus bebés solían tener problemas de desarrollo.

Las diferencias se observaron en la conducta que se internaliza, que es aquella en la que se interioriza la negatividad, como la depresión, y en la conducta que se exterioriza, como la agresión. La conducta mejoraba por cada mes adicional de lactancia prolongada.

La lactancia por seis meses o más se mantuvo asociada positivamente con la salud mental y el bienestar de los niños y los adolescentes tras controlar la influencia de los factores sociales, económicos y psicológicos, además de las experiencias en los primeros años de vida.

El equipo concluyó que "las intervenciones orientadas a aumentar la duración de la lactancia beneficiarían la salud mental y adolescente en el largo plazo".

Geraldine Dawson, PhDa,b,c, Sally Rogers, PhDd, Jeffrey Munson, PhDe,f, Milani Smith, PhDe, Jamie Winter, PhDe, Jessica Greenson, PhDe, Amy Donaldson, PhDg and Jennifer Varley, MSeRandomized, Controlled Trial of an Intervention for Toddlers With Auti

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a comprehensive developmental behavioral intervention, for improving outcomes of toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

METHODS: Forty-eight children diagnosed with ASD between 18 and 30 months of age were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: (1) ESDM intervention, which is based on developmental and applied behavioral analytic principles and delivered by trained therapists and parents for 2 years; or (2) referral to community providers for intervention commonly available in the community.

RESULTS: Compared with children who received community-intervention, children who received ESDM showed significant improvements in IQ, adaptive behavior, and autism diagnosis. Two years after entering intervention, the ESDM group on average improved 17.6 standard score points (1 SD: 15 points) compared with 7.0 points in the comparison group relative to baseline scores. The ESDM group maintained its rate of growth in adaptive behavior compared with a normative sample of typically developing children. In contrast, over the 2-year span, the comparison group showed greater delays in adaptive behavior. Children who received ESDM also were more likely to experience a change in diagnosis from autism to pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified, than the comparison group.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first randomized, controlled trial to demonstrate the efficacy of a comprehensive developmental behavioral intervention for toddlers with ASD for improving cognitive and adaptive behavior and reducing severity of ASD diagnosis. Results of this study underscore the importance of early detection of and intervention in autism.