The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Weight-Related Health Behaviors in a National Sample of Children.

OBJECTIVE: To examine how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) relate to healthy weight behaviors in children. METHODS: We examined data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health. ACE scores were calculated from 6 measures of household dysfunction. Outcome measures included 5 healthy weight behaviors. Logistic regression models assessed associations between ACEs and healthy weight behaviors controlling for sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: Children 6 to 17 years of age (n = 32,528) with 0 ACEs had increased odds of: watching 2 hours or less of television daily (6-12 years: odds ratio [OR] 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-1.80, 13-17 years: OR 1.64; 95% CI, 1.39-1.94), using electronics for 2 hours or less daily (6-12 years: OR 1.44; 95% CI, 1.15-1.80, 13-17 years: OR 1.86; 95% CI, 1.60-2.16), sharing 4 or more family meals per week (6-12 years: OR 1.39; 95% CI, 1.17-1.66, 13-17 years: OR 1.68; 95% CI, 1.44-1.95), and getting adequate age-specific sleep (6-12 years: OR 1.50; 95% CI, 1.26-1.79, 13-17 years: OR 1.31; 95% CI, 1.11-1.55) when compared to children with one or more ACEs. Children 13 to 17 years of age with 0 ACEs had increased odds of exercising for 60 minutes daily (OR 1.27; 95% CI, 1.02-1.58) when compared to children with one or more ACEs. There was an overall gradient dose pattern; the odds of engaging in a healthy weight behavior decreased as the number of ACEs increased, with mixed significance levels. CONCLUSIONS: In children, ACE exposure is associated with decreased healthy weight behaviors and behavior counseling alone may be insufficient. Trauma-informed care to address intra-familial adversity may be necessary.

Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Developmental Delay at Age 2: A Diverse Population-Based Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES: Children raised by depressed mothers perform lower on measures of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills, compared to children of non-depressed mothers. It is unclear how maternal depressive symptoms (MDS), which persist and accrue over time, impact child development. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cumulative MDS from pre-pregnancy to postpartum influences child development in children by age 2.5. METHODS: Using a longitudinal population-based study design, 2679 racially and ethnically diverse mothers completed the 2014 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby (LAMB) and 2016 Follow-Up surveys. A total MDS score was created based on responses to standardized questions, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). Data was collected for before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and 4 months postpartum in the 2014 survey, and at 2.5 years postpartum in the 2016 survey. Child development was measured using the CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early Milestones Checklist. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. RESULTS: The prevalence of any cumulative MDS was 45.2%. Language, cognitive/adaptive, motor, and social-emotional delays for surveyed toddlers were 7.7%, 4.0%, 1.2%, and 14.2%. After adjusting for covariates, mothers reporting depressive symptoms at all four time points were significantly more likely to report a social-emotional delay in their child (aOR = 4.39, 95% CI - 1.72 to 11.18). CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Mothers with cumulative depressive symptoms are at-risk of reporting social-emotional delays by age 2.5. Understanding these effects may help direct resources to target interventions that support mothers with depressive symptoms early-on and promote positive developmental outcomes among their children.

"Complex" attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, more norm than exception? Diagnoses and comorbidities in a developmental clinic.

OBJECTIVE: Current recommendations for evaluation and diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are meant for primary care settings and may not adequately address the needs of children seen in subspecialty developmental-behavioral pediatric settings who may have higher rates of comorbid developmental, learning, and psychiatric disorders. The authors sought to characterize the diagnostic complexity of school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD after comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation in a subspecialty developmental-behavioral pediatric clinic. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective medical record review of 144 patients aged 7 to 11 years who were consecutively evaluated by an interdisciplinary team (developmental-behavioral pediatrician, psychologist, educator) in a school-age clinic within a developmental-behavioral pediatrics tertiary care center from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. RESULTS: After comprehensive evaluation, rates of ADHD diagnosis increased from 32.6% (n = 47) preevaluation to 54.2% (n = 78) postevaluation (p < .0001). Rates of learning disorders among children receiving a final diagnosis of ADHD increased from 2.6% (n = 2) preevaluation to 50% (n = 39) postevaluation. (p < .0001). Among children receiving a final diagnosis of ADHD, 73.1% (n = 57) were diagnosed with at least 1 comorbid psychiatric, developmental, or learning disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Among school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD in a developmental-behavioral pediatric subspecialty setting, a comprehensive evaluation including developmental, neuropsychological, and educational assessments yielded high rates of comorbid psychiatric, developmental, and learning disorders. This supports the need to provide comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment for such children to ensure the identification and treatment of not only the core symptoms of ADHD but also the comorbidities that may otherwise go unrecognized and therefore not optimally treated.