Reuters (8/28, Emery) reports, “The combined results of 61 studies conducted in 19 countries suggest that when a woman gives birth by cesarean section, autism in the child is 33% more likely and the odds of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (AD/HD) “increase by 17%.” The findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis were published online in JAMA Network Open.

According to Healio (8/28, Demko), even though investigators “reported similar estimates for some other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric outcomes – including intellectual disabilities, obsessive-compulsive disorders, tic disorders and eating disorders – the associations were not statistically significant, possibly due to the limited number of studies.

Related Links:

— “Possible link between C-section and autism, ADHD, “Gene Emery, Reuters, August 28, 2019

Psychiatric News (8/28) reports, “As the percentage of U.S. adults older than 65 years continues to grow, so too does the need for preventing mental illness among older adults as well as improving clinical services and outcomes for older patients with psychiatric disorders,” posited “psychiatrists Warren D. Taylor, M.D., M.H.Sc., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Charles F. Reynolds III, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh in” a viewpoint published online Aug. 28 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatrists Offer Recommendations to Help Older Adults With Mental Disorders, Psychiatric News, August 28, 2019

Healio (8/27, Demko) reports, “Differences between individuals with autism and those without have lessened over time, which may be tied to changes in diagnostic practices,” researchers concluded in an 11-study meta-analysis that “included data on 27,723 individuals.” The findings were published online Aug. 21 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Effect sizes of studies comparing individuals with, without autism decrease over time, “Savannah Demko, Healio, August 27, 2019

MD Magazine (8/27, Walter) reports research indicates that “individuals taking antidepressants and/or antipsychotics in weight management programs will lose weight regardless of their medication use.” Investigators arrived at that finding after analyzing data on “17,519 adults enrolled in a lifestyle weight loss intervention at the Wharton Medical Clinic in Ontario using a sex-stratified multivariable linear regression analysis to discover the association of taking antidepressants and/or antipsychotics with weight loss when adjusting for age, initial weight, and treatment time.” The findings were published online Aug. 23 in the journal Obesity.

Related Links:

— “Individuals Lose Weight Regardless of Antidepressant, Antipsychotic Use, “Kenny Walter, MD Magazine, August 27, 2019

Healio (8/27, Demko) reports, “Thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] concentrations were abnormal in about 6% of psychiatrically hospitalized youth with significant mood and anxiety disorders, but thyroid disease was present in less than 1% of the total sample,” researchers concluded in a study involving “1,017 hospitalized youth.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Thyroid function abnormal in some youth with mood, anxiety disorders, “Savannah Demko, Healio, August 27, 2019