Great Stories of Smiles from Around the World
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Humans Cared for “Special-Needs” Kids 500,000 Years Ago, Say Researchers
The oldest known fossil of a human child with a skull deformity has been discovered, suggesting that early humans did not kill or abandon their abnormal offspring, as has been commonly assumed. A research team reconstructed the 530,000-year-old skull, the first pieces of which were unearthed in Spain in 2001, and determined that the child likely suffered from craniosynostosis, a debilitating genetic disorder in which some pieces of the skull fuse too quickly, causing pressure to build in the brain [Wired] and interfering with brain development. The severity of the deformity is not clear, but researchers say the child probably had learning difficulties and other mental health issues, and certainly would have required extra care.
Via Discover Magazine, Wired posted by Pediatric Plastic Surgery
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Risk factors for severe head flattening identified
A number of factors, including gender and favorite head position -- but not sleeping position -- influence the severity of flat head syndrome in infants, researchers found in a study of 434 babies with the condition known medically as deformational plagiocephaly.
Via Reuters posted by Pediatric Plastic Surgery
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Press Release: Positive effects outweigh negative for families of children with cleft lip and palate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Positive effects outweigh negative for families of children with cleft lip and palate
Contrary to previous reports, families who have children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) report more positive than negative experiences, according to a study in The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal.
Most of the previous research on CLP has focused on individuals with CLP and not on their families. In addition, previous work has focused on the negative aspects of having CLP as opposed to the positive. This report applied the resiliency model of family stress, adjustment and adaptation to better understand the effect of CLP, or what the model would call a “life stressor,” on families.
Questionnaires were completed by family members. They were questioned about their views on coping strategies, social support, psychological distress, adjustment and family impact. The results differed from those of other reports. For example, positive adjustment outweighed psychological distress. Levels of social support were much higher, and there was a much greater use of approach-oriented coping strategies, as opposed to avoidance strategies.
Regardless of whether the outcomes reported were positive or negative, they were all dependent on the level of social support. Those who had confidants to speak with, who experienced a sense of belonging through engaging in various activities, and who were able to receive practical and tangible help fared much better than those without this support.
Families whose children were younger and had multiple medical problems experienced a greater impact from CLP. However, contrary to other reports, coping strategies and levels of support were not affected by these conditions. Social support was present regardless of the child’s age.
The results of this study will help researchers develop strategies to assist families with children with CLP. They will also serve to improve the morale of families by showing them ways their lives may be positively affected when faced with this challenging situation.
To read the entire study, “Coping Strategies and Social Support in the Family Impact of Cleft Lip and Palate and Parents’ Adjustment and Psychological Distress,” visithttp://www.allenpress.com/pdf/CPCJ_46.3_final10.15972F08-075.pdf
The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal is an international, interdisciplinary journal reporting on clinical and research activities in cleft lip/palate and other craniofacial anomalies, together with research in related laboratory sciences. It is the Official Publication of the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association (ACPA). For more information, visit http://www.acpa-cpf.org/
Media Contact:
Amy Schneider
Allen Press, Inc.
800/627-0326 ext. 412
Aschneider@allenpress.com