ADHD

Does my child have ADHD or is this just normal childhood behavior?

ADHD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is also known as ADHD. ADHD is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's chemistry. A child that suffers with ADHD will have a hard time behaving properly, following directions and paying attention. It is important that you get your child examined if you think they are showing signs of ADHD.

ADHD affects approximately 3-5% of all children and can last into the later years of life. Most often parents, teachers and caregivers will notice the disorder during the preschool and elementary years. Early symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. A child with ADHD may seem like they are constantly on the go and sitting still for dinner, classwork, a lecture or story may be difficult. Usually, the child with ADHD will be squirming, wiggling, touching nearby items or tapping things in their hands. It is usually very hard for them to wait for their turn to do something. Children with ADHD will often blurt out answers or make sudden choices without much thought. It is also common for children with ADHD to become distracted easily and it is often hard for them to complete one task before moving on to another. Because of this, they will often lose pencils, crayons, toys or other belongings that they just had.

It is not uncommon for a parent or teacher to think that a child may have ADHD. However, some typical early childhood behaviors are often mistaken for ADHD symptoms. A psychiatrist, psychologist, medical doctor or neurologist can diagnose ADHD and provide medication, advice, referrals, counseling and support when needed.

There are ongoing studies regarding the causes and treatments of ADHD. Currently, it is believed that there are several possible causes for the disorder. The most common causes are:

*Higher levels of lead in your body

*Maternal smoking or alcohol use during pregnancy

*Brain injury

*Food additives and sugar

*Genetics

If your child has ADHD, you may notice other disorders that commonly accompany the disorder. It is not uncommon for children with ADHD to have learning disabilities or conduct disorders. Children with ADHD may also have tourette syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder and axiety/depression problems. Children with ADHD are often prescribed medications to control the chemistry levels in the brain. Some families choose to alter treatment and prefer behavior treatment rather than medical treatment for ADHD. Often times, children do not respond well to prescribed medications and the side effects are worse than the actual disorder. The most common side effects of the medications are decreased appetite, increased anxiety, insomnia, irritability, stomach aches and headaches.

Comments: ADHD

Comments 1 to 21 of about 21.
1

kyler - 396 days ago.
Just thought i would post my experience here. I have ADHD and was very severe as a young child and even into my adulthood i still find it hard to cope with at times I am currently pregnant with my 1st and while him getting it is a slight concern I am not worried. I was diagnosed in 1985 with it back then there was very little help out there apart from medicating your child, my mum said no way and insisted my diet had a lot to do with it so she got me allergy tested well the list of foods was longer than out dining table. but after a lot of work and a lot of training me we changed my diet and hey presto i improved tenfold. I have never been a big sleeper (3-5 hours a night average) and insomnia is a terrible thing i suffer form on and off, to be honest my family just kept me entertained and tired me out all the time and i had a fairly normal childhood and young adulthood meds are not the answer as someone with ADD/ADHD is already pre disposed to addiction starting their life out with drugs is not the answer ( obviously there are people with other conditions too who do need medication for that). We believe my father had at least ADD if not ADHD but as he was born in 1941 the conditions were unheard of but he had a lot of the symptoms. also i have a great nephew just diagnosed with ADHD apart form that no others in my family have the condition ( I have 5 siblings 8 nephews and nieces and 9 great nephews and nieces, 15 cousins 12 great cousins and 5 aunts and uncles) so just because 1 person in the family has the condition does not mean your child is doomed to live with it too. I also feel many children are diagnosed with it when really it is just lazy parents ( I know 3 such cases personally one of which after 3 weeks staying with his grandparents had no symptoms at all) there is no quick fix and medication should be the last resort as the drugs given for this condition can ruin a persons life and make them dependent on drugs as an adult ( it has been proved that well over 70 percent of children given meds in childhood end up using recreational drugs as an adult) obviously all cases are individual and nothing like this is black and white but please think abotu the childs future and a little extra time when they are you can save them from a lot of pain later in life

macey@intercomm.com.au - 577 days ago.
Hey. Me and my partner dont smoke, drink or do drugs. But my partner does have a medical history of having ADD and it is genetic. now I got told by my doctors that my unborn baby has a very high chance of inheriting ADD. how can you tell with your unborn baby does have ADD? is there any signs or detection or anything that might be able to help me being able to tell if it's got ADD?

adoptakalyn - 737 days ago.
Hey everyone! I figured I would share my story with everyone. I am ADD (diagnosed in late elementary), I was never put on meds because my mother didn't believe in solving problems 'the easy way.' Instead I had to train myself to pay attention, which was very hard and still is. Patience was my medicine... I hope everyone with a child that is diagnosed ADD or ADHD doesn't immediately jump to medications instead find something that interests them and work with them 5-10 minutes at a time... in my opinion it can help them in the long run... but I'm no doctor :)

LadyJade - 987 days ago.
Hello Everyone. My son has ADHD, he was diagnosed about 5 years ago. He went onto meds, Concerta for about a year. While on it he was constantly pale, had no appetite and was like a zombie. He was never excited and never really happy. It was terrible. We changed his diet (totally healthy) and tried to deal with the behaviour. I am pleased to say there is a drastic DRASTIC improvement, so much so that no one picks up any issues in him. This does require me to be on his back 24/7. I have to be telling him what to do and not to do all the time and check up on him with all his school work and his behavior at school. We have come such a long long way ..there is hope other than drugging your child. Sometimes kids cope better with the meds, sometimes they dont.

tayazmom - 1241 days ago.
my daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and placed on intuniv about a month ago. she seems so mean and on edge lately. anyone else experience this problem? We go back tomorrow to doc so I will ask then. we are trying to stay stimulant free.

hopingfullterm - 1260 days ago.
Question: How old were u child when he or she was first diagnosed?

Pregnant-An-Loving-It - 1261 days ago.
My son has ADHD and sometimes he can be so great and other days he is uncontrollable. He does so good at school but his behavior is killer. He has been constantly lying about his behavior at school and it has gotten to the point where I have to call and check with his Teacher once a week to make sure he is telling me the truth. So far.. he has not been telling me the truth at all. Anyone else had trouble with lying and back talking? Any advice would be helpful.

toveandbrody - 1275 days ago.
Lead and Smoking can cause ADHD, this article just out 11/25/2009, just thought I'd share:) By Stephanie Booth Children exposed to lead or whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), new research shows. The study, published in the December issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that children exposed prenatally to tobacco smoke had a 2.4-fold increased likelihood of ADHD diagnosis. Those whose blood showed what researchers categorized as high lead levels were 2.3 times more likely to have ADHD. Exposure to both lead and prenatal tobacco triggered what head researcher Tanya Froehlich, M.D., a developmental and behavioral pediatric specialist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, called an alarming 'synergistic effect.' Children in this category had eight times the risk of being diagnosed with ADHD. Froehlich and other researchers analyzed data on 2,588 children between the ages of eight and 15 who participated in the 2001 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Nearly nine percent of the children met the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD, including inattentiveness, difficulty focusing, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Of those children, 16.8 percent had mothers who said they had smoked during pregnancy. More than five percent of children categorized as having 'low' lead blood levels had ADHD and nearly 14 percent had what researchers considered 'high' levels. 'These findings are not surprising, but do provide confirmation of what we already know: Lead levels in utero are a potential threat to normal brain development and tobacco can be toxic to embryos and fetuses,' says Anthony L. Rostain, M.D., director of the Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. 'The takeaway message here is that mothers certainly should not smoke and risks for lead exposure in the U.S. are still important to investigate.' The study estimates that up to 35 percent of ADHD cases in children between the ages of eight and 15 could be reduced by eliminating exposure to these environmental toxins. That could translate into 800,000 children. see the rest of the article at :http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/adhd/smoking-lead-paint?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl2|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2Fcondition-center%2Fadhd%2Fsmoking-lead-paint

little.brooksy - 1282 days ago.
I have ADD and my son has ADHD and to be honest it doesn't make it any easier in some ways it does i understand why he does the things he does but it is still hard to know how best to help him we decided not to give him ritalin yet as he is only 6 and prolonged use can be linked to heart desease but i did find it usefull when i was doing my GCSE but not happy about him being on it for that long would love to hear from an other adults who are living life dealing with the complications having ADD causes

mummyof4 - 1479 days ago.
I have a 9 year old with adhd. He has ADHD aspergers syndrome ODD dyspraxia and he is dyslexic. he has severe behavioural difficulties and attends special school im expecting baby number 5 and its really hard work. anyone who wants to chat message me! been through all medication and help routes be happy to discuss!

sarahbobarah - 1494 days ago.
As an ADDer, I go off the rails big time if I eat anything with red food dye in it. It has the same effect as pseudoephedrine or way too much coffee, only I become more irritable. Aparently food dye of any kind can cause problems for kids prone to hyperactivity, while having little to no effect on those with no previous hyperactive behaviors. This is a petition presented to the FDA by the Center for Science in the Public Interest which cites some very interesting studies on the effect of food dyes in children. http://www.drgreene.org/documents%2FPetition-food-dyes-final.pdf

~Mendy-Tinksfairydust76~ - 1506 days ago.
i have a 10 year old boy on Focalin...i hate to medicate him......is there an alternative to meds?

RobinG - 1539 days ago.
I am not a fan of meds so have done alot of reading on diets changes, there are moms who've shared that it make a huge difference. I strongly suggest reading up on it ~

http://adhdstory.blogspot.com/2008/08/adhdstory.html

http://3stepsadd.com/

http://add.natural.googlepages.com/

my oldest is awaiting diagnosis but we already give him omega 3 daily. There was a mom who shared that a friends son was really bad and she went 100% organic and he was like a new child and docs were so amazed :) Here is some info on foods and why organics are important ~ http://www.euphoricorganics.com/go_organic/dirty_dozen.html. I've also read that red dyes arent good ~

babydust08 - 1539 days ago.
I have a 6 year old boy with ADHD. He is in kindergarten. We are not having very much luck with meds so far. We have tried, strattera, concerta, ritalin, and adderall. Any advice on something that works? He currently goes to counceling 2x a week. He is very defiant, seems very angry for a child. He is mean to his older sister. He has had a good life. We are a very stable family. I would love to chat with someone in the same boat. Some support system would be greatly appreciated. :)

RobinG - 1540 days ago.
Anyone have a teen or child who docs werent sure if Aspbergers or ADHD? Or discuss testing to see which it is? My son had testing in school and they found no learning disability with tests. But outside psychologist said it could still be ADHD or Asp since tests dont mean there isnt a problem, just means not a learning Dis to qualify for services.

Jet - 1570 days ago.
Agreed. My son started mediation from 6 years but I was searching for answers for him from about 2 years of age. The problems became horrendous once he started school. The difference on medication was awesome. Highly recommend it.

nichole13134 - 1597 days ago.
LisaC, relax! only time will tell if your baby will have ADHD, and if he/she does, then you figure out the best methods for your child to learn/grow. My son was diagnosed with ADHD at 5yo, but from the time he was around 2 I knew he had it. He was still a happy little guy, and a wonderful baby and toddler. His problems didn't start untill he started school, and really the problems were with his attentiveness and hyperactivity. He is still a very sweet boy. My son has taken 3 different medications, the best I have found for him is Stratterra. It's a non-stimulant so really he doesn't seem 'drugged up' just controllable. Good luck with your pregnancy and enjoy your little one without worrying too much about ADHD!

amanda miller - 1599 days ago.
My son is eight and has been on medication since he was five. Everyone was so against me giving him the medication at first but they all had a change of heart including me once they saw the change in his behavior and report cards.

SarahBobarah - 1599 days ago.
I myself was diagnosed with ADD (ADHD) as a child and was placed on Ritalin, a drug I took up until my university days. A number of years ago I started to do research into alternatives to Ritalin and other stimulant drugs, and developed my own little supplement regimen which I have been taking, sans Ritalin, for seven years. It is important to first eliminate any food allergies that your child may have, before putting him/her on any medication. What worked for me was eating a full breakfast everyday, one high in veg and protein. With breakfast I also take a high quality fish oil, a B-Complex vitamin, Ginko Biloba, Siberian Ginseng, and a Multi Vitamin. I have found that even the fish oil alone has greatly increased my abiltiy to pay attention. I can't stress enough however, just how important a really good and healthy diet can be for the ADHD child. I hope this might help some moms out there.

Zoeys Mommy - 1654 days ago.
I am pregnant and I dont know if my child will have ADHD my brother told me the other day that they just dianoised his 4 yr old son with ADHD and my brother has it so it wasnt surprising plus I kinda knew my nephew had it before because he had all the common symptoms of ADHD the hard dicussion is the medication because I dont want my kid to be drugged all the time but I know they want kids on medication while they are in school

RobinG - 1657 days ago.
Any moms here with a child who has ADD that found natural ways or diet changes that helped significantly? I'd love to hear what worked for you ~ My oldest as ADD not ADHD, and not looking to medicate but looking to help him with changes in his diet. Really want to hear success stories and examples of what was used versus what some may have heard may work ~ TX!

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