This podcast, intended for parents, discusses high-risk medical conditions that put children at risk for flu complications and how to protect children from the flu. Created: 11/25/2009 by National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). Date Released: 11/25/2009. Series Name: CDC Featured Podcasts.

http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=393367

By Miriam Falco, CNN

November 30, 2009 1:49 a.m. EST

Researchers have shown for the first time that if a child is diagnosed with autism as early as 18 months of age, offering the toddler age-appropriate, effective therapy can lead to raised IQ levels and improved language skills and behavior.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/conditions/11/30/autism.study/

HILLSBOROUGH (CBS 5) ―

The mother of an autistic child developed an online tool that helps parents track their children’s progress and may aid scientists in the search for a solution.

http://cbs5.com/local/charm.autism.tracker.2.1330241.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

Children with autism have mercury levels similar to those of other kids, suggesting the mysterious disorder is caused by a range of factors rather than “a single smoking gun,” researchers said on Monday. The researchers at the University of California, Davis, initially found that children aged 2 to 5 with autism had mercury levels lower than other children because the autistic kids ate less fish, the biggest source of mercury that shows up in the blood.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE59I4W020091019