Health briefs

Dec 12, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Explaining social rules to autistic children

Berlin (dpa) - The parents of autistic children should teach them the rules of social interaction as early as possible, including the requirement to greet and say goodbye.

It is also important for them to learn to make - and hold - appropriate eye contact and also what topics one does not generally raise in public.

Ingo Spitczok von Brisinski, of a German youth psychiatry and psychotherapy association, says that - since autistic children have only limited empathy with their social environment - parents should explain clearly to them how and why to stick to social rules.

But they should at the same time avoid overburdening the youngsters with too much information.

Asperger syndrome is also part of the autism spectrum. Affected children do not exhibit normal empathy for others' feelings, thoughts and desires. This is shown in facial expressions and gestures, and in experiencing difficulty in building up deeper relationships with others.

It is equally important for parents to explain the situation to teachers and others looking after the children. This is because the unusual behaviour exhibited by these children can cause misunderstanding and irritation.

Expectant mothers should ensure they are inoculated against measles

Berlin (dpa) - Measles in expectant mothers can lead to miscarriages or premature births. For this reason, women seeking to become pregnant should ensure that they are inoculated against the disease, according to Professor Klaus Friese, head of the German association for gynaecology and obstetrics.

Only women who have received two inoculations in childhood are fully protected against measles. If an expectant mother gets measles late in her pregnancy, the baby could be born with the disease, and as babies' immune systems are poorly developed, the infection could prove fatal.

Should an expectant mother come into contact with people infected with measles, the prompt administration of immunoglobulin can help to prevent the disease or to ameliorate it. According to the association, the widespread belief that measles can lead to deformities in the baby is unfounded.