It is only natural that parents who
are told that their child has been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) will want to know exactly what went wrong.
Unfortunately, this is something to which they are not going to get a simple
answer. Researchers are still uncertain about the underlying factors that
cause ADHD.
Recent research indicates that ADHD
is not a disorder of attention per se as researchers had assumed. It is
linked to a developmental failure in the brain circuitry that underlies
inhibition and self-control. This loss of self-control in turn impairs
other important brain functions crucial for maintaining attention, including
the ability to defer immediate rewards for later, greater gain.
Studies conducted by the National
Institute of Mental Health in U.S.A. found that the right prefrontal cortex,
two basal ganglia and the vermis region of the cerebellum are significantly
smaller than normal in children with ADHD. These findings make sense because
the brain areas that are reduced in size in children with ADHD are the
very ones that regulate attention.
Genetics also plays a role in ADHD.
According to research findings, ADHD has a heritability approaching 80
percent. In other words, this means that up to 80 percent of the differences
in attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity between people with ADHD and
those without the disorder can be explained by genetic factors.
Nongenetic factors that have been
associated with ADHD include premature birth, maternal alcohol and tobacco
use, exposure to high levels of lead in early childhood and brain injuries,
especially those that involve the prefrontal cortex. But even together,
these factors can account for only between 20 and 30 percent of ADHD cases
among boys; among girls, they account for an even smaller percentage.
Some misconceptions
about ADHD
At one point, people believed that
a poor home environment might be the cause of ADHD. However, the latest
research findings increasingly point to biological causes for the disorder.
Not all children from unstable or dysfunctional homes have ADHD. And not
all children with ADHD come from dysfunctional families. Parents can heave
a sigh of relief that this is something that is not their fault.
Another pet theory was that refined
sugar and food additives make children hyperactive and inattentive. As
a result, parents were encouraged to stop serving children foods
containing artificial flavorings, preservatives, and sugars. However,
data from a later study lead scientists to conclude that the restricted
diet only seemed to help about 5 percent of children with ADHD, mostly
either young children or children with food allergies.
In addition, ADHD cannot be linked
to too much TV or food allergies or poor schools.
Name:sukhwinder.singh
,
Country: India
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or AD/HD or ADD) is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age. thanks for information .....
causes of adhd
Name:
sukhwinder,
Country: India
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or AD/HD or ADD) is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age. thanks for information .....
causes of adhd
Name:
swami,
Country: India
these days teachers donot have patience. they wait for an opportunity to classify a child into add when actually the fact is they cannot the childhood pranks. pharma medico lobbies have brought so many new kinds of syndromes where none exists.
Name:
Katarina,
Country: England
can anyone help to diagnose if my 6month old son has adhd?
here are the symptoms:
-crying a huge amount, even in my lap - occasionally even on the nipple(!)never really content or happy
-almost impossible to soothe.
-body usually stiff, as if standing, even when i hold him.
-vocalizing constantly (when not crying)
-muscular and mobile -advance motor skills - crawling at 4 months as well as pulling self up to stand. always on the move.
-gets into a 'killing rage' almost, if say i'm eating icecream, biscuit or whatever - pulls my arm to put it in his mouth and gets devestated if i say 'no'.
all this is adhd or not?
Name:
rk dubey,
Country: India
i am looking for help on adhd in kolkata
Name:
Igivit,
Country: USA
i saw a pediatrician here in the states and he tld me that you can not truly evaluate a child at that young age, i have a son who is diagnosed with adhd and he has had it for over two years and is currently on two varios drugs, but now that i have taken him to this pediatrican and he has taken him off of meds and has me maintainng him on a low sugar diet and he has been doing quite well.
Name:
neeraj,
Country: India
can anybody guide me if there are any good doctors available in nagpur for adhd (child as well as adult)
Name:
Krishnan,
Country: India
there are medicines available in india for add. please consult a child neurologist for the same. if the confirmed the disorder the will prescribe for the medicine.
Name:
S. MENON,
Country: India
how do i diagnose if my 10 month baby is an adhd. he is very hyperactive, does not stop doing / moving, playing till till he sleeps. was a premature baby by 3 months and is crawling, and holding things and walking now. is there an early intervention programme at this stage?
Name:
christina christina,
Country: England
i have been researching as my son and myself have adhd and have found that sleep apnoea could be an underlying cause in adhd. both present same problems., a nother reason could be food allergies. my son and i have both.
Name:
Ashok V Shetty,
Country: India
i would like to know more about adhd.i would also highly appreciate if you can give me the addresses or the contact nos of the psychiatrist or physitherapist in mumbai so that i can contact them.
i would also like to have the email id of the parents who are tying to search answers.
Name:
kalpesh M.CHHAYA,
Country: India
i would like to go for more case studies in touch with indian child in common.i also would like to discuss the matter regarding how the adhd be taken seriously in indian schools .what can be the measures to enforce it in school curriculum and system.
Name:
Shikha,
Country: India
my child 3 years old has adhd . i am looking for school in delhi which can help her
Name:
DR. V. P. SINGH,
Country: India
i would like to know more about adhd.actualy my son 5 year old suffrinf from adhd.i would also highly appreciate if you can give me the addresses or the contact nos of the physitherapist in delhi and ahmedabad so that i can contact them. kindly suggest any ayurvedic medicine for cureing this disese
Name:
Narula,
Country: India
does addwize has any side affects.
my son is on medication for last 6 months and is there anything like drug holiday.
Name:
vanaja ravindran,
Country: India
we have a child 10 years old diagonised with adhd. we were afraid to give medicine and were trying only therapy. he seemed to improve but in school he performed poorly. now we are advised to give addwize. can somebody tell whether this will have any side effect? whether academically will he improve?
Name:
raj,
Country: India
i am suffering from adhd from past 28 years, i am on medication from past 2 weeks, doc has advised me to take addwize, i just feel that i am feeling drowsiness, and no change, every minute am dying, please help me
Name:
DIPTI,
Country: England
i do agree with linda from usa and havovi from india .i
am a doctor here and come across lots of children with
this problem daily .
Name:
vanaja ravindran,
Country: India
this site is realy very informative for parents like us. i wish many teachers also read all these! is there schools or teachers in bangalore (india) who can handle both regular portions and take special lessons on spelling, reading and writing for children with adhd problems?
Name:
Answer to Query of Mr. Ashok V. Shetty,
Country: India
dear mr. ashok v. shetty
for adhd disorders in mumbai, you may contact dr. vrajesh udani, a leading neuroloist. he practises at hinduja hospital, mahim, mumbai. may god be with you.
Name:
vanaja ravindran,
Country: India
there is a school called "shristi special academy" (url by the same name.org)in bangalore where wonderful teachers are availble for treating adhd children.
Name:
Mukshiv,
Country: India
my son is 4 yrs old and he is hyper active he is on addwize medicine. i am looking for a school where i can enrol him in east delhi in delhi please held
Name:
Neeraj,
Country: India
im father of a 6 year old adhd child. is there a good boarding school for adhd children anywhere in india?
Name:
amk,
Country: India
is there any school in chennai for adhd children (class vi onwards) ?
Name:
Grama,
Country: USA
to katerina,
your baby's problem sounds more to me like "colic" which is gas on the stomach. there are medicine drops for that which can help a lot. i do not know how old these message boards are so, maybe you have gotten an answer already. also, i had a grand daughter who had those same symptoms from birth and she was diagnosed with autusm. it doesn't sound at all like adhd.
