In Case You Missed It: Detecting autism, the fight against AIDS, the mystery of magnetoreception, understanding probiotics, and more

Hope that you’ve had a great week and enjoying a wonderful weekend. Here are some news that you may have missed from last week.

New way to detect autism earlier?

What if autism could be detected by a blood test? This concept could become reality, and this new diagnostic test could be effective in very young children. Dr. Robin Page Goin-Kochel, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, is leading the study.

Goin-Kochel says in a Houston Chronicle article that a blood test for autism would be a “huge boost” because research has shown that earlier intervention is predictive of better outcomes. The article says that the average age autism is diagnosed in the United States is 4 1/2, an age when therapy is no longer as effective.

Read more about the new study.

Learn more about new insights and research about the autism spectrum.

Discover one family’s story with autism.

Actress Charlize Theron pledges support to fight AIDS

This week, actress Charlize Theron met with South African President Jacob Zuma, and pledged her support in the campaign to fight AIDS. Theron is an ambassador for the United Nations program on AIDS.

Learn more about the AIDS campaign and Theron’s support.

Navigating the mystery of magnetoreception

How is it that homing pigeons – and many other creatures – use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate? Baylor researchers are making headway and gaining some clues into the mystery.

Read more about their studies.

Understanding probiotics

What are probiotics and what exactly do they do? Dr. Joseph Petrosino, director of the Alkek Center for Metagonomics and Microbiome Research at Baylor College of Medicine explains: Probiotics are the “good bacteria” found in foods such as yogurt. Probiotics are also available as dietary supplements and thought to help with digestive issues.

Still curious to know more about this hot topic? Read these five pointers about probiotics.

Signs of stress

Are you stressed out? Many people feel that the answer is consistently “yes” in their lives. But how do you know when you’re even more stressed than you think?

Take a look at six surprising signs that you’re stressed out.

Learn how to better cope with stress.

-By Jordan Magaziner