Susan Sharma: This is insidermedicinein60 from Boston. With over 25% of preschool children being overweight, many are interested in the effects of sleep, given that less sleep may change hormone levels that can increase hunger. In a study of over 900 children, Harvard researchers evaluated sleep patterns and weight on school entry, and found that 9% of the sample was overweight and sleeping less than 12 hours per night raised the risk of being overweight.
From Montreal, parental behaviors at bedtime with toddlers may raise of risk of sleep problems in children in later life. Researchers studied nearly 1000 patients starting at the age of 5 months and following them for 6 years, frequently assessing the children's sleeping patterns. Co-sleeping after nighttime awakening was associated with a delay in returning to sleep, while the mother's presence at the beginning of sleep appeared protective against such delays.
Finally from Virginia, in a study of nearly 2500 Swedish twins, researchers examined the effect of genetics on 3 different types of fears: situational fear (such as fear of closed spaces), animal fears and blood or injury fears. Overall, genetic factors influenced all three types of fears, but did not remain stable over time. For instance, one set of genetic risk factors is more important in childhood fears and another in early or late adolescence.
For Insidermedicinein60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.
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