Boys with ADHD may be at risk for obesity later in life, according to a new study – which, if confirmed in larger studies, may have implications for the more than 4 million kids in the United States living with the disorder.
Researchers at NYU’s Langone Medical Center have been following more than 200 kids for four decades. They found those who had ADHD in their early years were twice as likely to be obese at age 41.
“This study was started by Dr. Rachel Klein in 1970, and it involved a number of waves of evaluation, during which the results of having hyperactivity in childhood were assessed,” said Dr. F. Xavier Castellanos, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU and one of the study authors.
“We brought back individuals who were 41 years of age, and examined a number of measures, including brain imaging analyses. But during those brain imaging analyses, we noted that men who had been hyperactive children had a greater difficulty sitting in the scanner – they were too large for the research scanner.”
That’s when the idea took shape to look at all of the subjects’ height and weight. Castellanos and his team instantly noticed the high levels of obesity – twice as high as those adults who never suffered from ADHD.
Full story of adhd in boys leads to obesity at CNN Health
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Beedie Savage – President of Quantum Units Education
From cyber-bullying that could threaten your teen’s self-esteem, to dangerous distractions that could cause you to crash while driving your kids, here’s a look at five important studies about the health of children being presented this week at a large pediatric conference in Washington.
1. Moms and dads are distracted while driving kids
Researchers asked 600 parents what distractions they encountered while driving their most precious cargo: Their children. Among the interruptions: Talking on the phone, texting, surfing the Internet, checking a navigation system, and changing a CD or DVD.
Almost 90% of parents admitted to doing at least one of these technology-based distractions.
“These distracted drivers were more likely to have been in a crash,” noted the study’s lead author, Dr. Michelle Macy, a specialist in pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
Full story of kids health at CNN Health
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Beedie Savage – President of Quantum Units Education
Exposure to intimate partner violence and maternal depression before the age of 3 may increase a child’s risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine looked a population of more than 2,000 children, and found that those whose parents had reported depression or intimate partner violence were significantly more likely to suffer from ADHD as they grew older.
“It wasn’t surprising, from the lens of me being a behavioral pediatrician,” said Dr. Nerissa Bauer, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine and the lead study author. “I routinely encounter mental health and behavioral problems in children, and this
supports my initial hunch that I was seeing an increase in that.”
Full story of violence and ADHD at CNN Health
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Beedie Savage – President of Quantum Units Education
Almost one in five boys of high school age, and 11 percent of school-age children overall, have received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States, according to new government data.
Many doctors are concerned that ADHD diagnoses and medication are overused in children, The New York Times reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found an estimated 6.4 million children ages 4 to 17 had received an ADHD diagnosis at some point. This represents a 16 percent increase since 2007, and a 53 percent increase in the past 10 years.
The findings come from a CDC study of children’s health issues, which included interviews with more than 76,000 parents nationwide.
About two-thirds of those diagnosed with ADHD receive prescriptions for stimulant drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin. These drugs, while they can be very effective in treating the disorder, also have the potential for addiction, anxiety and even psychosis, the article notes.
Full story of ADHD diagnoses in teens at DrugFree.org
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Beedie Savage – President of Quantum Units Education
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is often considered something children outgrow. But researchers say the disorder can carry over into adulthood.
A new study published in this week’s Pediatrics journal finds that about a third of those diagnosed as children continue to have ADHD as adults, and more than half of those adults have another psychiatric disorder as well.
Suicide rates were nearly five times higher in adults who had childhood ADHD compared to those who did not, according to the study. Researchers aren’t exactly sure why; they speculate that problems associated with childhood ADHD, such as lower academic achievement and social isolation, make people more prone to life issues as adults.
The study looked at roughly 230 people born between 1976 and 1982 who were diagnosed with ADHD as children. The group was followed until they were about 30 years old.
Full story of ADHD beyond childhood at CNN Health
Photos courtesy of and copyright PhotoPin, http://photopin.com/
Beedie Savage – President of Quantum Units Education
Boys with ADHD may be at risk for obesity later in life, according to a new study – which, if confirmed in larger studies, may have implications for the more than 4 million kids in the United States living with the disorder.
