Rates of children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have risen 4 percent each year for the last 10 years. Recent analysis has some doctors wondering if maturity, not ADHD, may explain the increasing numbers of rascally rug rats.

Studies come from North Carolina State University, where researchers noticed that children born just before the kindergarten enrollment cutoff date, who are among the youngest in their class, were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than their older classmates. The researchers determined this wasn’t a likely coincidence.

"We believe that younger children may be mistakenly diagnosed as having ADHD, when in fact they are simply less mature," lead researcher Dr. Melinda Morrill explained in a university news release cited by MSNBC.

Children diagnosed with ADHD may be more talkative, forgetful, or fidgety, and may have more difficulty playing quietly and taking turns. Frequent daydreaming and disruptive behavior also characterize ADHD.

“We are not downplaying the existence or significance of ADHD in children,” Morrill says. “This indicates that there are children who are diagnosed, or not, because of something other than underlying biological or medical reasons.”

Misdiagnosed ADHD can mask other issues, including learning disorders, hyperthyroidism, Asperger’s syndrome, or other forms autism. According to Mayo Clinic, as many as one in three children diagnosed with ADHD may also have one of these other conditions. The fear is that these conditions may be overlooked and that children may be put on ADHD medication unnecessarily.

Paying close attention to all of your child’s symptoms and making a careful assessment of his or her behavior with your doctor can help avoid misdiagnosis. See the full story from MSNBC.

More teens are calling for help with ADHD prescription drug abuse, according to information obtained from the American Association of Poison Control Center. Calls to the center from 13-19 year-old victims regarding prescription ADHD medication abuse rose 76% between 1998 and 2005.

These types of calls rose more quickly than those for general substance abuse by teens (up 55%). ADHD medication prescriptions were up 80% over the same time period, a figure researchers suspect is no coincidence. Girls called more frequently than boys, representing 40% of all victims, but boys suffered more severe effects than girls, who accounted for just over 19% of major effects or death.

Researchers can only speculate why the imbalance is so drastic: “We don’t know for sure whether the increased calls for help are the result of simply more abuse or the escalating severity of consequences,” explains G. Randall Bond, MD, director of the Poison and Information Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“The findings suggest that more teens are abusing and misusing stimulant ADHD medications because they have access to those medications, not because a higher percentage of those treated have turned to abusing their medication,” explains lead author Jennifer Setlik, MD, also of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder that can continue through adulthood. Individuals with ADHD may be extremely talkative or fidgety, and often have difficulties with impulsiveness, patience, following instructions, hyperactivity, attentiveness, and behavioral control.

Most of the medications used to treat ADHD are amphetamines, stimulants intended to boost concentration; drugs such as Adderall, Dexedrine, or Ritalin are typically prescribed. Teens abuse these stimulants to increase focus, to reduce pain and anxiety, or to get high without knowing the side effects.

Side effects may include insomnia or tiredness, cottonmouth, dizziness, and headaches. In more extreme cases, however, they may cause vomiting, seizure, or psychiatric problems, including hallucinations. Strattera, a non-stimulant antomoxetine, can cause users to have an increased likelihood of suicidal thoughts.

"Clearly," says Setlik, "we are seeing a rising problem with the abuse of these medications." As the drug abuse problem progresses, education continues to be stressed as a means of prevention.

Click here for more information on how to talk to your child about drug abuse.

Could exposure to TV and new media be harmful to your children? A report released Tuesday by the nonprofit group Common Sense Media suggests that it might. The report reviewed studies on media and health from the last 30 years and found that 80 percent of them showed that more time spent watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the Web led to negative health effects in children and adolescents.

The study, a meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Yale University, and California Pacific Medical Center looked at 173 studies published since 1980 that examined the relationship of media exposure with seven different health outcomes, including tobacco use, sexual behavior, obesity, academic performance, and drug/alcohol use. Many of the studies reviewed were largely focused on television but some examined the effects of video games, films, music, and computer and Internet use.

Three quarters of the studies found that increased media viewing was associated with negative health outcomes. The strongest relationship was found between media exposure and obesity: 86 percent of the studies suggested a strong relationship between increased screen time and obesity.

As a group, the studies also offered strong evidence that children who get more media exposure are more likely to start smoking, use drugs and alcohol, perform poorly in school, and begin sexual activity earlier than those who spend less time in front of a screen. The studies linking media exposure and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were less conclusive.

Due to the increasingly pervasive presence of media in modern society, parents and educators may want to carefully consider the effects of media on children in their care. The researchers recommend that parents place limits on the amount of media their kids consume, and urge them to make smart, age-appropriate choices. They also believe educators should implement media literacy programs in their schools and policymakers need to make media education programs a national priority.

For more information about children’s health, visit the Healia Health Community on Child Health. For information on childhood obesity, see the Healia Health Guide on Weight Management.

 

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