If you're a parent, your children are your life. And if you're like most parents, you become an expert on anything relating to
childcare, your children's health and wellbeing, whether it's a tiny scrape or
special needs requiring skilled care. Sometimes this can be fairly simple, black and white almost. But what about gray area? When I talk about "gray area,"
autism stands out. Lately, it seems that there is so much published on this condition lately (still mostly speculative), it could make every parent's head spin.
One recent study published in the journal Autism Research suggests that an intricate equation may exist between the age of both the mother and father, as reported by Roni Caryn Rabin in the Times. Older mothers are more likely than younger ones to have a child with autism, and older fathers significantly contribute to the risk when their partners are under 30. Researchers analyzed almost five million births in California during the 1990s, and 12,159 autism cases were diagnosed in those children. This sample was large enough to examine how the risk of autism was affected when one parent was a specific age and the other was the same age or considerably older or younger.
Previous research found that the risk of autism grew with the age of the father. But the new study suggests that when the father was over 40 and the mother under 30, the increased risk was especially pronounced - 59 percent greater than for younger men. And every five-year increase in a mother's age raised her risk of having a child with autism by 18 percent.
Our health is, really, all we have. If you think about it, if you don't have your health, you have inconvenient complications, a reduced quality of life and/or something worse. Whether it's a teenager, a middle-aged adult or the elderly, it is important to "take the reigns" and ensure you are the driver when it comes to your health.
We've written before about the importance of being your own health advocate. One of the best ways of doing this is to educate yourself (they don't say 'Knowledge is power' for nothing, after all). How can you do this? One way is to be prepared. In just five easy steps, you can achieve this in a cinch:
- Do research ahead of time - learn about symptoms you think you may be experiencing, read up about (a) condition(s) you may have.
- Write down a list of things you'd like to address, such as concerns you may have, any major life changes that you've experienced, questions you may have.
- Prior to going to the doctor, be sure to sit down and think about these things so you are able to make the most out of the short time you are there.
- Bring a list of medications (including vitamins and supplements!) you are currently taking and anything else you'd like to address.
- Be sure to bring something to take notes on and/or even a voice recorder (with the permission of your doctor, of course).
We love the idea of making a list. Making a list will not only help you to remember the things you'd like to address, but it will also help you stick to the point and communicate clearly. From young children to seniors, many people are afraid of going to the doctor because it can make them feel vulnerable, but having a list of questions and being educated can help anybody regain some control and feel more confident.
That's why we've come up with a series of checklists to jump-start your journey to health advocacy. From "Questions to Ask About Drug Treatment" to "Questions to Ask About Cholesterol" and more, our Resources serve to empower you to "take the wheel" and never look back. See for yourself.