At first, it looked as though some new science was telling us that a good diet was all a kid needed to improve attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, a new review is out that serves a slice of humble pie all around; to the parents who believe in the magic of the diet solution as well as the skeptics who’ve been scoffing all along.

The new report summarizes decades of research on the many approaches parents have tried (with or without medical approval). It more or less supports the idea that a healthy diet helps kids with ADHD, but isn’t particularly encouraging for parents that pull out all the stops and put their kids on strict and complex diet regimens, hoping against hope to remove the need for medication or (gasp) therapy.

The review was published in Pediatrics from researchers at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Here’s a summary:

• Most studies show no link with sugar, but can’t rule out that some very sensitive kids are affected. Still, so many parents are convinced that sugar is a trigger that “no controlled study or physician counsel is likely to change this perception,” now, the authors write. (In one small study conducted two decades ago, mothers who thought their kids drank a sugary beverage reported surges in hyperactivity not seen by moms correctly told the drinks contained artificial sweetener).
• Diets that eliminate food dyes and preservatives might help “an occasional child,” but are not the answer for most. (This is part of the Feingold diet, which has been around since the 1970s).
• Elimination diets that help identify food allergies are “complex, time-consuming, and sometimes too burdensome,” but often worth trying for “selected patients with diligent parents.”
• Supplements of omega-3 fatty acids are unproven but show promise. (Benefits appear “small but significant,” other researchers reported recently. Translation: They help, but not as much as stimulant drugs do.)
• A simple, healthy diet, full of fish, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy, shows the most promise. The authors point to an Australian study showing lower rates of ADHD among teens who ate that sort of diet than among those who ate a junky “Western” diet full of fast and processed foods, red meat and soft drinks.

The original report can’t say whether or not a bad diet actually causes ADHD, and theorized that it may just be that kids with ADHD desire crap food.  So would changing those habits improve symptoms? The new report can’t quite say either. Standard medical intervention is still concluded to be the very best treatment for sufferers of ADHD (read: parents), though it is admitted that a healthy diet sure doesn’t hurt.

Do you have a child with ADHD? Do you suffer from it yourself?

New ADHD Report Clarifies Diet Matters Less Than Parents Think is a post from: The Inquisitr

The use of diet to affect or improve ADHD in kids is a semi-controversial approach to treating the condition, but new data released indicates that foods consumed by kids with ADHD may have a significant effect on the need for ADHD medication.

Although doctors advocate balanced diets high in whole grains and vegetables, more complex and involved “elimination” diets such as the Feingold diet are deemed too fussy by doctors while offering little to no benefit in ameliorating the sometimes frustrating and disruptive symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. Save for some subgroups of such eating plans, researchers found as a whole that diets focusing on eliminating certain additives or ingredients were are “complicated, disruptive to the household, and often impractical” while yielding little effect in ADHD children.

Another aspect to the new research unlikely to take effect in the anti-sugar culture built up around ADHD management is that researchers again found no link to sugar consumption and worsening of ADHD behavior. They observed as much, saying:

“No controlled study or physician counsel is likely to change this perception. Parents will continue to restrict the allowance of candy for their hyperactive child at Halloween in the belief that this will curb the level of exuberant activity, an example of the Hawthorne effect. The specific type of therapy or discipline may be less important than the attention provided by the treatment.”

Some credence was given to supplementing children’s diets with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, although researchers noted that the findings should be explored further. Dietary modifications were suggested mainly for situations in which mineral deficiencies had been identified or medication had caused an adverse reaction- although the knowledge could come in handy as the ADHD drug shortage continues with no end in sight.

[Image: Shutterstock]

ADHD in Kids Improves With ‘Healthy Diet,’ Elimination Has Little to No Effect is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new study suggests that babies born to mothers with pregnancy-related diabetes have a higher risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Gestational diabetes (pregnancy diabetes) typically develops in the second or third trimester, especially in women who eat unhealthy, are considered overweight and don’t exercise.

The study didn’t aim to prove a direct link between gestational diabetes and ADHD but rather examined how diabetes-related changes in the blood shared by mother and fetus could affect a child’s developmental progress.

Researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York studied 212 preschoolers, two-thirds of whom were at risk for ADHD based on reports supplied by their teachers and parents.

After interviewing parents about their pregnancy healthy conditions researchers found that 21 moms had gestational diabetes. Researchers then discovered that between the ages of three to four the children who had mothers with gestational diabetes scored lower on language, memory and IQ tests then diabetes-free moms. By the age of six children with gestational diabetes carrying mothers scored lower on communication and attention testing.

Researchers also found that being poor pronounced the effects of gestational diabetes. According to the study kids were 14 times more likely to meet ADHD criteria by the age of six when compared to middle class or well-off women who hadn’t had gestational diabetes.

The research also found that poor women who did not have gestational diabetes did not place their children at an increased risk for ADHD compared to more well off groups.

While researchers are not sure why certain children with gestational diabetes are at a higher risk they believe being exposed to extra glucose in the blood that passes through the placenta could affect oxygen or iron in the blood which in turn slows development by altering brain functions.

The full report can be found in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Pregnancy Related Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Children With ADHD is a post from: The Inquisitr

Regulatory wrangling that has led to an ADHD drug shortage in the United States is expected to continue into 2012, meaning the pills will remain in short supply for the foreseeable future.

If you’ve ever been dependent on an ADHD drug to maintain a baseline level of attention for school or work, you probably realize what a serious situation the ADHD drug shortage creates. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to be caught in the middle- fielding hundreds of complaints each day from concerned patients- as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and drug manufacturers bicker over how much of the controlled substances fueling medications are truly necessary for the American populace.

It doesn’t help that the three entities have vastly different scopes and interests in maintaining a reasonable supply of each ADHD drug for patients in the US. While the drug manufacturers are concerned with marketing, distributing and selling the medications, the DEA is focused solely on preventing abuse- particularly in older students who believe abusing the stimulant drugs will increase their test scores. The FDA is busy tracking shortages and speaking with frightened patients who have been “almost constantly” unable to acquire their needed prescriptions due to manufacturing restrictions.

The New York Times details a “rare open disagreement” between the two federal agencies over the supply-demand issues spurring the ADHD drug shortage:

“We have reached out to the D.E.A. and told them that there are shortage issues,” said Valerie Jensen, associate director of the F.D.A.’s drug shortage program. “But the quota issues are outside of our area of responsibility.”

Still, Special Agent Gary Boggs of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control, said in an interview, “We believe there is plenty of supply.”

However, the Times concludes its piece with a quote from a psychiatrist that seems to make the entire debate a bit baseless. As the DEA digs its heels in and fails to recognize the very real effects of restricting medically necessary ADHD drugs, Dr. Alexander Lerman of Chappaqua simply muses:

“For the first time in my career,” Dr. Lerman said, “there is this enormous and mysterious scarcity of the basic product that is proven to work.”

Have you experienced difficulties due to the ADHD drug shortage? Should the DEA be inserting itself between doctors and patients?

[Image: Shutterstock]

ADHD Drug Shortage Expected to Continue Into 2012 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ritalin, Adderall and other stimulant drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been found to pose no significant risk to the hearts of adults.  It was feared that because they can increase users blood pressure and heart rate, the opposite would be true but it seems as if those cries were a false alarm.

A similar study found the same results in the hearts of children and was released last month.  Scientists reviewed of health records for more than 440,000 adults aged 25 to 64.  The records indicated that those taking ADHD drugs had an equal incidence of  heart attacks, strokes  deaths as adults who were not medicated with these drugs at all.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects about 4 percent of the adult population in the United States or about 9 million people, while roughly 5 million  kids have the disorder, according to governmental sources. 1.5 million U.S. adults were taking stimulants for ADHD in 2005, the time period the study examined records for.

Fox News Reports that “Overall, there were 1,357 heart attacks, 575 strokes and 296 sudden cardiac deaths. Roughly equal numbers occurred in ADHD drug users and nonusers. Study participants used the drugs for an average of less than a year, which is short, but the upper range of use was almost 14 years, and there was no sign of increasing risk with longer use, the authors said, led by Laurel Habel of the research division at Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland.”

Study: ADHD Drugs Not A Heart Attack Risk is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you have the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as an adult, you probably have experienced several of the negative side effects of the condition as well as some positive quirks you may find to be benefits.

But the less desirable aspects for ADHD afflicted adults- difficulty remaining organized, tendencies to hyperfocus or drift off at inopportune times or inability to sleep or relax when needed can put a crimp on your life, career and marriage. Many adults diagnosed later in life find that medications enabling them to more naturally integrate with mainstream society are a godsend, offering a respite from symptoms that others without the same challenges may feel are born of laziness, sloppiness, or inability to be responsible.

One of the concerns, however, was that adults that rely on stimulant medication to counteract ADHD symptoms could be at risk for heart damage or other cardiovascular concerns. But a new study seems to indicate that even in adults, ADHD medication is a safe way to treat symptoms of the condition. A recent study that included 150,000 adults taking ADHD medications “found no conclusive evidence that the medications increase users’ risk for heart attack, stroke, or sudden death from heart-related causes.” Earlier this month, a larger study of more than a million participants focused on kids and young adults had similar findings about the safety of ADHD medications relative to heart risks in that group. Both studies were published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, with the study focusing on adults added today in the online edition.

[Image: Shutterstock]

ADHD Medications Safe For Adults, Study Finds is a post from: The Inquisitr

Among disorders that affect early childhood and education, ADHD is one of the more puzzling and frustrating to deal with, because the uninitiated may perceive the behaviors and struggles of children affected by the disorder to be a result of “bad parenting” or “lack of structure.”

Even given the evidence of a specific, confirmed set of criteria for diagnosis, many reject the condition as an “excuse” for disorganization or errant behavior. But a new study has added to the pile of convincing evidence that kids affected by ADHD process visual information differently than those without the condition. A study whose findings were presented at a conference of the Radiological Society of North America included 36 children- 18 with ADHD and 18 who did not have the condition. What the functional MRI-generated results found was that the kids in the ADHD group had  ”distinct patterns of [brain] activity” identifiable in the tests, one researcher explained to WebMD:

The test requires the children to pay attention and visualize, remember ,and compare the numbers, says study leader Xiaobo Li, PhD, assistant professor of radiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

“What we found,” she tells WebMD, “is that the pattern of brain activity for processing visual attention information looks a little different in children with ADHD.”

Specifically, the scans of children with ADHD showed less activity in brain regions involved in visual attention and working memory, Li says.

ADHD is thought to affect 5-8% of school aged children, and the research could lead to more definitive ways to diagnose the condition- perhaps before the onset of symptoms.

ADHD Kids Have Different Brain Pathways, Study Finds is a post from: The Inquisitr

No similar link was found between exposure to the chemical at the same “higher” levels by boys and the behavioral problems, which include anxiety and hyperactivity. BPA is used in making plastics, and is found in some food packaging and canned goods. The study was centered near Cincinnati and involved nearly 250 pregnant women. Urine samples were taken twice during the pregnancy, and then again immediately after the babies were born. Researchers tested for BPA concentration in the samples, and then retested the children yearly to determine levels.

BPA was present in the urine of almost all the women who participated in the study, with concentrations averaging 2 micrograms a liter. For every tenfold increase in BPA levels, researchers observed a corresponding spike in levels of anxiety, diminished emotional control and hyperactivity.

After that, the researchers measured BPA levels in the children each year. At age three, parents filled out a survey on kids’ anxiety, depression, aggression and hyperactivity, as well as any behavioral problems or trouble controlling their emotions. Race, income, marital status and education level for mothers was accounted for in the study.

Study author Joe Braun of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said of the group:

“The vast majority of our children were typically-developing children and didn’t meet any clinical criteria for behavioral problems.”

Future studies are planned to explore the link between BPA and behavioral problems in girls.

BPA Linked With Behavioral Problems in Girls is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy showed for the first time a direct link between bedtime routines and behavior that mimics Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children.

The findings propose that of the over 5 million children who are now being treated with ADHD medication, a majority may be suffering from Faux-ADHD, a disorder linked to irregular bedtimes and bed sharing, and does not require medication.

The study, consisting of 704 parents of children, ages 2-13 and were being seen in pediatricians’ offices, was conducted by researchers at the New England Center for Pediatric Psychology and the Rhode Island College Department of Special Education. It suggests that simple adjustments to bedtime habits, rather than medication, can eliminate ADHD-like behavior, such as poor attention and hyperactivity.

Here are other key findings from the study:

Children who did not sleep in their own beds

Had ADHD-like behaviors 7 times more frequently than children who always slept in their own bed; and

Hit, pushed, or kicked their parents 13 times more frequently than children who always slept in their own bed

Children Who Did Not Have a Regular Bedtime

Had ADHD-like behaviors 8 times more frequently than children who had a regular bedtime

Hit, pushed or kicked their parents 10 times more frequently than children who had a regular bedtime; and

Lead researcher of the study, Dr. Robert M. Pressman, said:

“Pediatricians, therapists, and parents need to reassess the questions asked when diagnosing ADHD. Bedtime habits must be reviewed at intake and bedtime problems explored before ADHD medication is considered.”

So, before jumping into conclusion on ADHD, consider Faux-ADHD.

Bedtime Habits May Cause ADHD-Like Behavior to Children is a post from: The Inquisitr

At first I was like “ha, ha,” but then I was distracted by something shiny.

[reddit]

ADHD Rage is a post from: The Inquisitr

Data collected from two previous studies suggests children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are far more likely to become dependent on certain substances, including alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.

The studies revealed that kids with ADHD were one and a half times more likely to develop substance dependent behaviors, and a third of the children in the study eventually exhibited the substance issues. 268 children were studied- one study dealt with girls with ADHD, and the other measured boys who had the condition.

Dr. Timothy Wilens, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, commented on the study in a news release:

“Our study, which is one of the largest set of longitudinal studies of this issue to date, supports the association between ADHD and substance abuse found in several earlier studies and shows that the increased risk cannot be accounted for by co-existing factors such as other psychiatric disorders or family history of substance abuse.”

Family history and gender did not impact the results, but the presence of a “conduct disorder” did. Only a quarter of the kids who did not have conduct disorders developed substance abuse issues, versus the third who were diagnosed with ADHD as children.

Study: Kids With ADHD More Likely to Develop Substance Abuse Problems is a post from: The Inquisitr

Fussy babies may be less likely to shake off their “fussiness” as they age, according to a study in the April 20th issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Excessive crying, sleeping or feeding difficulties could be markers of a propensity to develop Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or “externalizing problems” such as tantrums or aggressive behavior. According to the study, the higher instances of regulatory problems were, the more likely children were to present with the behavioral issues later on. The studies authors highlighted early intervention to address the issues in infants and children:

“Our findings highlight the need for prospective follow-up studies of regulatory disturbed infants and require reliable assessments of crying, sleeping or feeding problems… The evidence from this systematic review suggests that those with persisting regulatory problems in families with other problems may require early interventions to minimize or prevent the long-term consequences of infant regulatory problems.”

Between 1987 and 2006, the study measured more than 16,000 children, 1,935 of whom had regulatory problems.

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Baby fussiness linked to ADHD, behavioral problems is a post from: The Inquisitr

The debates about “natural parenting” on the internet almost always descend into heated, ad hominem attacks from both sides within the first few exchanges- with one school of though espousing breastfeeding, a crunchier diet, and often rejecting vaccines and the other leaning toward established scientific findings and accepting the status quo as generally safe.

The Food and Drug Administration has opened the can of worms about the possible link between artificial additives and hyperactivity anew, giving credence to concerns about the colorings by re-investigating the link. Although the FDA stands by its original assertion that a link is tenuous, they concede that among pre-disposed children, it may be a mitigating factor:

In a concluding report, staff scientists from the F.D.A. wrote that while typical children might be unaffected by the dyes, those with behavioral disorders might have their conditions “exacerbated by exposure to a number of substances in food, including, but not limited to, synthetic color additives.”

The New York Times printed part of a statement from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, who dismissed the link as pseudoscience:

“All of the major safety bodies globally have reviewed the available science and have determined that there is no demonstrable link between artificial food colors and hyperactivity among children.”

A behavioral pediatrician spoke to the Times and called the persistent idea that the colorants exacerbate the conditions “urban legends that won’t die.”

FDA examining link between added coloring, ADHD and hyperactivity is a post from: The Inquisitr