On the front of its Science Times section, the New York Times (3/27, D1, Richtel, Subscription Publication) reports that studies performed in rats indicate “the idea that the use of cannabinoids can induce withdrawal from heavier substances.” In humans, however, “a report published in January from the National Academy of Sciences on the health effects of cannabis ‘found no evidence to support or refute the conclusion that cannabinoids are an effective treatment for achieving abstinence in the use of addictive substances,’ said Dr. Marie McCormick, a Harvard professor who was the chairwoman of the report committee.”

Related Links:

— “Addiction Specialists Ponder a Potential Aid: Pot,” MATT RICHTEL, New York Times, March 27, 2017.

HealthDay (3/23, Preidt) reports, “Older mothers are less likely to scold or punish their young children, and those children tend to have fewer behavioral, social and emotional problems,” researchers found after examining data “from a random sample of just over 4,700 Danish mothers.” The study authors theorized that “older moms tend to have more stable relationships, are more educated, and have more wealth and resources.” The findings were published in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology.

Related Links:

— “Older Mothers May Raise Better-Behaved Kids, Study Suggests,”Robert Preidt, HealthDay, March 23, 2017.

Healio (3/24, Tedesco) reported, “Lower rates of psychological distress were associated with moderate daily intake of fruits and vegetables in middle-aged and older adults,” researchers found after conducting a “cross-sectional, prospective study of 60,404 adults (aged 45 years or older) from Australia using logistic regression models.” The findingswere published online in the BMJ Open.

Related Links:

— “Daily fruit, vegetable consumption linked with reduced psychological distress, Healio, March 24, 2017.

HealthDay (3/24, Preidt) reported that adolescents in the US with autism may be “four times more likely to visit an emergency” department (ED) than teens without autism, researchers found. After analyzing “nine years of private insurance health-care claims of 12- to 21-year-olds,” investigators also found that “the proportion of” ED “visits by teens with autism for a mental health crisis rose from 12 percent in 2005 to 22 percent in 2013.” The findings were published in the February issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Teens With Autism More Likely to Land in ER, Study Finds,”Robert Preidt, HealthDay, March 24, 2017.

CNN (3/21, Scutti) reports that research published online in the American Journal of Public Health indicates “preventable injuries often lead to death among people with autism.” The study found that people with autism “are three times more likely than the general population to die because of injuries.” Meanwhile, the study indicates that “for children and young teens with this developmental disability, the numbers are more striking: They are 40 times more likely to die from injury than the general child population.”

HealthDay (3/21, Thompson) reports that the study, which included data on “nearly 1,370 people diagnosed with autism who died between 1999 and 2014,” found that children “with an autism spectrum disorder are 160 times more likely to die from drowning compared with the general pediatric population.”

Related Links:

— “Children with autism 40 times more likely to die from injury, study says,”Susan Scutti, CNN, March 21, 2017.