Trending News: Fluoride Exposure Associated with Changes in Sleep Cycle Among Adolescents

Fluoride exposure may be associated with changes in sleep cycle regulation and sleep behaviors among older adolescents, according to the American Journal of Managed Care. Researchers analyzed data of adolescents who had plasma fluoride and water fluoride measures and were not prescribed medication for sleep disorders. The increase in water fluoride was associated with reporting symptoms of sleep apnea and a later bedtime of 24 minutes as well as higher odds of reports of snoring, gasping, or stopping breathing while sleeping.

Investigators have longitudinally evaluated the neuropsychological development of African school-age children, finding that those with perinatally-acquired HIV had poorer results on neuropsychological tests despite early ART initiation and viral suppression, according to Contagion Live. The study evaluated children 5 to <11 years of age at 6 in South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Uganda between October 2013 and December 2014. The cohort of children living with HIV performed significantly worse than both other groups on the cognitive and motor skills test and showed less improvement than the other cohorts.

A study of 799 children has found that short sleep duration is prospectively tied to symptoms of psychiatric disorders at younger children, according to MD Magazine. Symptoms of emotional disorders included anxiety and depression and behavioral disorders, including oppositional defiant conduct and ADHD. The results suggest that improving sleep in children may help protect against the development of symptoms of common psychiatric disorders and may be advantageous in treatment.