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Developing Brain

American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the latest in child health information. The site includes frequently updated news releases, publications available from the Academy (some in Spanish), child health research reports, and related Internet links.

Children's Hospital Boston

The Children's Hospital's site includes a searchable encyclopedia of child related health conditions, as well as a listing of clinical services, and a database of pediatric specialists at the hospital.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control Prevention Web site offers basic information about fetal alcohol syndrome and ways to prevent it, as well as publications, educational materials and links, and a list of CDC related activities.

First Signs

First Signs offers information on child development with particular emphasis on early screening and detection of developmental and behavioral disorders, including those on the autism spectrum.

MEDLINEplus: Child Development

This easy to use service of the National Library of Medicine provides links to articles, research reports, and organizations covering various aspects of child development. Some information is available in Spanish.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities serves as a central source of information on disabilities in youth. There are pages on developmental delays and early intervention, education and legislative issues, specific disabilities, and more.

National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)

On the NICHD Web site one will find a wealth of information about child health and human development. The site includes news releases, publications, funding information, intramural research reports, statistics, and research resources.

Dana Links

The Teen Brain: Primed to Learn, Primed to Take Risks

The Teen Brain: Primed to Learn, Primed to Take Risks

Published Feb 26, 2009
by Jay N. Giedd, M.D.
The changes the brain undergoes during adolescence pave the way to adulthood, priming the young person for life away from home and for finding unrelated mates. But this plasticity also can open the door to poor decision making and risky behavior, writes Jay N. Giedd, a child psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Pediatric Screening and the Public Good

Published Dec 23, 2008
by Jennifer Kwon, M.D., M.P.H. and Richard H. Dees, Ph.D.
The advantages of screening for diseases and disorders in children seem obvious. Ideally, tests catch problems early and increase opportunities for treatment and recovery. However, Jennifer Kwon and Richard H. Dees note that screening programs can have a number of complications, including ambiguous benefits, the need to educate families and the public, results that land in a gray area between normal and certain disorder, blurred lines between screening and research, and competition for scarce funding. Kwon and Dees urge caution and careful consideration of potential costs alongside potential advantages.

Prenatal Development — The Dana Guide

Published Nov 08, 2007
by Ann MacDonald(2)
No other organ in the human body takes so long to develop as the brain does or goes through as many changes. This unique growth process explains the brain’s complexity and amazing activities, as well as its vulnerability to injury.

Brain Development in Childhood — The Dana Guide

Published Nov 08, 2007
by Ann MacDonald
You don’t have to be a neuroscientist to notice the amazing development that takes place after birth. The same child who was so helpless as a newborn will be babbling at six months, and walking and talking with abandon as a toddler.

The Adolescent Brain — The Dana Guide

Published Nov 08, 2007
by Sandra J. Ackerman
The years between childhood and adulthood are a stage of life that brings out strong feelings in just about everyone. Perhaps no amount of reading can prepare adolescents and their families for the explosive growth ahead, but some understanding of the brain in adolescence can offer a helpful perspective.
 

Last Updated: 7/30/10
Editor: Johanna Goldberg
Contact: brainweb@dana.org

The listing of an organization's Web site does not imply endorsement by the Dana Foundation or the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice; be sure to consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.