Brooks Memorial Hospital - The Observer

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Page 14 Medical Directory 2011Autism risks for siblings are higher than thoughtLINDSEY TANNERAP Medical WriterCHICAGO — A new studysuggests nearly one in fivechildren with an autisticolder sibling will develop thedisorder too — a rate muchhigher than previouslythought.Researchers followed 664infants who had at least oneolder brother or sister withautism. Overall, 132 infantsor about 19 percent ended upwith an autism diagnosis, too,by their third birthdays.Previous smaller or lessdiverse studies reported aprevalence of between 3 percentand 14 percent.“We were all a bit surprisedand taken aback about howhigh it is,” said lead authorSally Ozonoff, a psychiatryand behavioral sciences professorwith the Mind Instituteat the University of Californiaat Davis.The highest rates were ininfants who had at least twoolder siblings with autism —32 percent of them also developedautism. Also, amongboys with autistic siblings —26 percent developed autismversus 9 percent of girls.Autism is already known tobe more common in boys.The study involved 12 U.S.and Canadian sites and waspublished online Monday inPediatrics. Earlier studieswere more local or involvedfewer sites.Ozonoff said parents ofautistic children often askher, “How likely am I to haveanother child” with autism?She said her study provides amore up-to-date answer.However, Ozonoff notedthat 80 percent of siblingsstudied did not developautism, and that the prevalencerate was an average. Itmay be different for each family,depending on other riskfactors they may face.Autism has no knowncause but experts believe thatgenetics and external influ-AP PhotoKathleen Lanese of Kings Park, N.Y., poses with her twoautistic sons Brendan, 14, right and Kevin, 10 at her sister-in-law’shome in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Lanese says havingone son with autism didn’t make her think twiceabout trying to have another child, even though sheknew there was a chance the second would be affected,too.ences are involved. Researchis examining whether thesecould include infections, pollutionand other non-inheritedproblems. Ozonoff notedthat siblings often areexposed to similar outsideinfluences, which could partlyexplain the study results.Infants in the study wereenrolled before they showedany signs of autism, such aspoor eye contact and littlesocial interaction.The study is an importantaddition to autism researchand “has critical implicationsfor families who are decidingwhether they’ll have anotherchild,” said Catherine Lord,director of the Institute forBrain Development at NewYork-Presbyterian/WeillCornell Medical Center. Lordwas not involved in the study.Kathleen Lanese of KingsPark, N.Y., says having oneson with autism didn’t makeher think twice about tryingto have another child, eventhough she knew there was achance the second would beaffected, too.“We wanted another childand we were going to takewhoever we got,” saidLanese, who was notinvolved in the study. Still,when her younger son was ababy, she says she “watchedhim like a hawk” for autismsigns. He was diagnosed withautism at 16 months, earlierthan her older boy.Ozonoff said the studyshould prompt families andtheir children’s doctors to bevigilant with infants whoseolder siblings have autism.Early diagnosis is importantbecause experts say behavioraltreatment has the bestchance of working if startedearly.“Pediatricians need to listenand make a very focusedplan for how to monitor thosethings, rather than taking await-and-see attitude” towardchildren with autistic siblings,Ozonoff said.
Eye safety includespreventing slips and tripsHome is where most eyeinjuries occur, and slips andfalls are among the most commontype of home injuries.Slippery stairs, loose railingsor sharp edges on furniturecan lead to painful falls anddevastating eye injuries forseniors, as well as childrenand other household members.October is “Eye InjuryPrevention Month” but preventingeye injuries is somethingthat all people should beaware of every day. Seniorsand their caregivers shouldremember to be especiallyaware of their home environmentand take preventivesteps to lessen their risk ofeye injury. Family membersare often concerned abouttheir elderly relatives falling,and the most unexpected fallscan cause the worst injuries.For the sake of your lovedones, you should take theproper precautions to helpprevent dangerous and potentiallyblinding accidents in thehome.Consider taking these safetysteps around the home todiminish the risks of injuringyour eyes:¯ Make sure that rugs andshower/bath/tub mats areslip-proof.¯ Secure railings so thatthey are not loose.¯ Cushion sharp cornersand edges of furnishings andhome fixtures.In the event you do sufferan eye injury, have an ophthalmologistexamine theinjury as soon as possible,even if the injury seems minorat first. Eye injuries can leadto long-term eye health problems,including the developmentof glaucoma andcataracts. Additional informationregarding eye injury preventionand treatment can befoundatwww.geteyesmart.org.Brooks blood drives setfor September & OctoberThe Community BloodBank of WNY will be holdingblood drives at BrooksMemorial Hospital onThursday, Sept. 1 andTuesday, Oct. 4. The driveswill be held in the EmployeeLounge on the Ground Floorand will run from 10 a.m.until 4 p.m.The Community BloodBank of WNY is the onlyblood supplier for BrooksMemorial Hospital and allother hospitals inChautauqua County. By supportingthe CBB, area residentscan support their localhealth care facilities andtheir friends and neighbors.Call the Brooks MemorialHospital Lab at 363-3911 tomake your appointment todonate blood. Walk-ins arealso welcome.Medical Directory 2011Brooks MemorialHospital is located at529 Central Ave.,Dunkirk.Page 15
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