The brain is the most interesting and the most difficult organ to handle. When something like ADHD is diagnosed in a child, parents feel distraught. But don’t worry. With timely intervention, good results are possible. What you must understand is that ADHD has a complex relationship with childhood stressors . All present and future treatments need behavioral training, family therapy, and medication, with weight being given to all. Before you start medicines and expect things to get better quickly, you need to know a few things.
ADHD The Summary
ADHD is a spectrum of disorder. The earlier the diagnosis, better is the long-term quality of life. While some children with associated psychiatric and developmental challenges are at the deep end of the spectrum. Many children with behavioral therapy, family support, medication will lead a productive life.
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#1 What is ADHD?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. That’s the bad news. The good news is it is also the most extensively studied mental disorder of childhood.
#2 What are the challenges the child may face?
- Academic underachievement
- Recurrent and persistent interpersonal relationship problems .
- Issues of low self-esteem are very common.
#3 What other health problems may be associated?
The doctor will screen for
- Learning disability
- Language disorders
- Emotional issues
- Behavioral problems
- Psychiatric problem
- Vision
- Hearing
#4 What are the symptoms of ADHD: when you should visit a doctor?
If any of the following are there for more than 6 months in a child and is causing challenges of development, social, emotional academic. The symptoms broadly fall into categories of inattention and hyperactivity.
- Making careless mistakes, lacking attention to details. Not listening when spoken to directly. Not finishing activities and unable to follow through instructions. Disorganized.
- Avoids activities needing sustained attention. Child misplaces things necessary for activities. Occasionally misplacing pencil or rubber is normal and not unusual in young children. Try to stop this habit by giving them a particular place to keep all their stuff next to the study table.
- Hyperactivity involves excessive fidgety movements. The child is unable to indulge in quiet play. Talks excessively
- Impulsivity: Not able to wait for a turn.Talks in between others etc
ADHD is a challenge to diagnose in preschoolers because distractibility and inattention are often present at this age. Different categories of ADHD is diagnosed, depending on criteria and needs a trained pediatrician.
#5 What causes ADHD?
The causes are complex and multifactorial. It is often the net result of several associated and simultaneous factors influencing brain development. There is a strong genetic role in ADHD. There is also a correlation with reduced dopamine level in the brain as a causative factors.
Maternal factors
- Birth complications such as toxemia, prolonged labor, complicated delivery.
- Maternal drug use
- Maternal smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy
- Exposure to lead prenatal or postnatal.
Child factors
- Food coloring and preservatives
- Brain trauma
- Abnormal brain structure on child increases the risk of ADHD
Family factors
- Psychosocial family stressors may cause or exacerbate symptoms of ADHD.
- Family stress
- Abuse
- Neglect
- A close blood relative with ADHD, mood or anxiety disorders, learning disability, antisocial disorder, or alcohol or substance abuse.
#6 How will ADHD be diagnosed?
Diagnosis needs the opinion of a pediatrician, child psychiatrist, clinical psychologist. It involves detailed history, physical examination, lab test and interview with caregivers.
The doctor also screens for vision or hearing problems and test for elevated lead levels. The latter is more important when a child comes in children with some or all of the symptoms if these children are exposed to lead poisoning.There are no diagnostic tests available to identify ADHD in children at present.
#6 Treatment
- Psychosocial Therapy/Behavioural therapy
- Drugs
- Family therapy.
The detailed treatment protocols are beyond the scope of this article but medication depends on main symptoms presented. Psychostimulant medications, including methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, Focalin, Daytrana)Amphetamine, and/or various amphetamine and dextroamphetamine preparations (Dexedrine, Adderall, Vyvanse).
While generally well-tolerated in most children, Adderall and Vyvanse side effects most commonly include a loss of appetite, stomach pain, irritability and difficulty falling asleep. A longer list of side effects does occur in some children, although the more serious ones are rare.
Most of the drugs will have some side effects, which will be explained by your doctor.
#7 Behavioural management alone will not be enough. It is also a long-term goal.
Once the diagnosis of ADHD has been established, the parents and children are educated about ADHD’s effect on learning, behavior, self-esteem, social skills, and family function. The doctor helps the family improve the child’s interpersonal relationships, study skills, and reduce disruptive behaviors.
#8 Untreated ADHD Risks
- Increased risk-taking behaviors (sexual activity, delinquency, substance abuse)
- Educational underachievement.
- Employment difficulties.
- Relationship difficulties.
#9 Prevention of ADHD
Parent training, training of caregivers and school teachers help in the early detection and treatment of ADHD. This has a big role to play in improving the quality of life in affected children. Early screening for Vision, Hearing and psychiatric problems will help in the effective treatment of children with ADHD. Long-term adverse effects of untreated and ineffectively treated children with ADHD is avoidable with early intervention. Detection of elevated lead levels in children who present with the symptoms is a part of the diagnostic arsenal.
Also if you are a young woman reading this and you want to be a mom later in life, you may want to avoid drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. A future human’s quality of life may depend on it.
Reference
1)DSM-IV DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER American Psychiatric Association: a Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text revision, Washington, DC, 2000, American Psychiatric Association. Copyright 2000 American Psychiatric Association)
2)Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics
3)Latest trends in ADHD drug prescribing patterns in children in the UK: prevalence, incidence and persistence
Raphaelle Beau-Lejdstrom,1 Ian Douglas,2 Stephen J W Evans,2 and Liam Smeeth
4)Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): What can help children and teenagers who have ADHD?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0079159/
Disclaimer: This post is written by Dr.AbhijitMisra MBBS, MD Pediatric Medicine and is meant for public knowledge and awareness and is in no way a replacement for physical consultation with a Doctor. Kindly consult your doctor for all health queries and before starting any medication. The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or another healthcare provider. The information provided here is for informational purposes only. This may not cover all possible drug interactions or all FDA warnings or alerts. Please check with a physician if you have health questions or concerns about interactions or go to the FDA for a comprehensive list of FDA warnings. Although we attempt to provide accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee is made to that effect.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but all opinions are mine and appropriately referenced.
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Very informative Article .Hope same will help many like me.
Thank u .
Very nice blog share with us
Thank you
I totally agree with all your points about ADHD. Good to know about this information. Parents should be read your article.
Quite na informative post. Many don’t realise it at all, and these kids shine at sports too!
This is a must read article for expecting and new mothers. Sometimes we ignore tell tale symptoms. The earlier detected the better.
Along with the dozens of PTA meetings held in schools, the awareness about ADHD, autism and various developmental disorders must be raised.
Thank you
it is very difficult to diagnose ADHD when it comes to a pre-schooler. But its good to be screened and then dealt with practically
Yes true
Great article! Detailed and loaded with relevant info. Some fact about ADHD are so pertinent to know.
Thank you for reading.
I had no idea about ADHD . Thanks for sharing this very informative post.
Thank you.
This is just such a great article for all the parents who are facing this along with their young ones and find themselves confused on what could be done.
I did not have much idea about ADHD. This is very informative post for me. Good to know that there are preventive measures for it.
Thanks for the insight on ADHD. Good to know there are preventive strategies one can take as well
A very informative post although I think medication is an important part in treating ADHD. I hope this information helps people who need it.
TYes a balanced treatment is needed.
Most parents are good parents. But if your son or daughter has attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD), “good” may not be enough. To ensure that your child is happy and well-adjusted now and in the future — and to create a tranquil home environment — you’ve got to be a great parent. Fortunately, it’s easier than you might imagine to go from good to great. All it takes is a few small adjustments in your strategies for parenting a child with ADHD and the way you interact with your child.
Helpful post. very informative
That was an interesting and informative article. What I can’t understand is how all these learning /social disorders are more prevalent these days when mankind has been around for yonks.
This was indeed an informative posts! Very important for parents.
Just a few days ago we were discussing on this topic. Coincidence that most of the things we talked about are after all true medically too. A very informative post.
Glad you found this helpful.Thank you
it was such an informative post. It definitely is something that moms need to be aware of so that they take the kids for screening.
This is so.informative. 8 wasn’t aware of this situation. Thanks for sharing this
ADHD is a real issue and sometimes it does get ignored by parents. Need to watch carefully and early treatment must start. Great info in this post.
That’s a useful information for every parent. Diagnosing a condition is the hardest. And rest as you said, Early intervention results in more positive results.
Most important is recognizing the symptoms I believe. However I have seen that these days, almost all kids are very active and have low attention spans. How do we differentiate then when a child has ADHD?
I am always afraid of this diseases. In all my pregnancy time I am just afraid of ADHD. I have seen kids suffering with it and not easy to cope up with it
This is a very interesting article and provides some direction for parents who may be wondering if their child has ADHD. Thanks for sharing.
ADHD is one of the major disorders sbomg kids and if detected early treat can be startrf. But as you have mentioned, depending upon the level and other symprsym, medication has to be given.
This is such a detailed post on ADHD. It is going to help many parents.
I came across quite a few kids suffering from ADHD and how insensitive people are to those parents without realizing that they are already going through so much everyday.
wow love how much information you gave. Parents all around should deff read this asap!
I was not at all aware of ADHD before. This is really a very informative post. We can easily neglect these symptoms as child mischieves.
So appreciate your thorough post! Every parent should read thus!! This information helps to pinpoint issues and take appropriate action. Thanks for adding value and raising consciousness. Xo, Evelyn, PathofPresence
This post taught me a lot about ADHD . As a parent I do not think I could bear the thought of giving my child drugs . I do not even like taking pills myself . I think I would try every alternative method possible before I go that route .
My nephew has slight ADHD, glad that you have share these information. Parents really have to work together with the teachers in caring for child with ADHD.
Thank you so much for writing this. I think your points about the risk factors of untreated ADHD are probably the most important thing I read here. All too often people will ignore these signs and it’s obvious that this can be a HUGE mistake that leads to so many more problems in the future. My nephew has some symptoms of this and I’m starting research on it and this article was really helpful. Thanks again!
WOW so eye opening. You hear about it, this over prescription of drugs to “treat” kids. It’s so sad really.
thanks a lot…that was a simple insight…sometimes we ignore these symptoms as childhood mischief
This is a very informative post! So interesting! Thanks for sharing. -Tonya Tardiff
My nephew has ADHD and I think doctors are too quick to put children on medications for this rather than exploring other options. Your post brings a lot of awareness to a much-needed topic. Thanks for sharing such valuable information!
Thanks For Sharing this Very Informative Post With us. I Was non aware about ADHD disorders before. Will spread a buzz now.
This is very sensitive issue and handle very Patiently.. I am learning something new go through your post
This was undoubtedly a very insightful post with all details covered beautifully.
Psychological disorders in children often go unnoticed or are ignored especially in a society that sees mental disorders as henious! Loved your post! Got to know so much about ADHD! I Hope this helps many children and their parents!
Dr. Amrita another very insightful post. Being a mom myself I can understand how a parent needs to be aware if so many things and this sort of serious issues can be quite sensitive if handled improperly. A major challenge is to identify i guess
Your posts always end up with a new learning. I really didn’t know about ADHD. Parents should play an imp role here.
ADHD in India is not well known by parents and if they confront they are not able to accept it. If a child is diagnosed with ADHD, there are so many exercises, fun things, lifestyle acts which can be worked out . Thanks for this informative post.
nice information. Thank you
This was an extremely informative post giving attention to every aspect of ADHD.
very informative and detailed post about ADHD. Thanks.
nice informative post sharing thanks
Thank you .