In February, we reported on the association between low birth weight and subsequent mental health disorders, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism…Several other studies in 2019 contributed to a growing body of literature suggesting that fetal exposures of various kinds can have long-term effects on children’s mental health.

Children who are exposed to maternal anxiety in the womb and during the first few years of life are twice as likely to have symptoms of hyperactivity at age 16, according to a long-term study of more than 3,000 children. Interestingly, the researchers found no significant link between maternal anxiety and other attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)…

For a team of researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, the theory of predicting the development of psychiatric disorders in children later in life through brain imaging was implemented and published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. According to the findings, brain imaging could in fact aid in identifying children at risk of common…

In this investigation involving 230 children (aged 5 to 12 years), researchers analyzed the effect of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants on the growth of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as tested the effectiveness and feasibility of weight recovery interventions on growth.

Some families say they’ve seen transformative benefits from programs that claim to rewire the brain. But many researchers say the evidence is thin…Brick-and-mortar training centers like Brain Balance Achievement Centers…and LearningRx…are just one piece of a $2 billion global brain technology market that is increasingly going around the medical industry and marketing directly to consumers.

The relationship between ADHD and motivation is a complex one. While we neurotypicals can often just will ourselves into action, for those with ADHD it’s just not that simple. Before you declare your son to be an immovable force, here are some important points to consider…Motivation may not be the problem.

Representing the first update in 12 years, an AAP clinical report on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a comprehensive document that is searchable by topic for easy information access. The report, Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, is available at https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3447; an executive summary is available at https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3448. Both documents, from…

Oh, ADHD. The four letter acronym, which causes new parents and teachers immediate anxiety…Does your child really have it, could it be something else, or are they just going through a rambunctious phase as they figure out the world?…Due to more extensive research, the AAP has recently updated their ADHD guideline, which outlines how and…

A recent study shows that people at low genetic risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not only less likely to have the disorder, they also have better than expected economic, health and behavioral outcomes in later life. The results, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, “capture far more than just the risk and…

The general consensus is: yes. “The thinking in the field is ADHD is genetic,” Michael Manos, PhD, head of the Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health at Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. Lenard Adler, MD, director of NYU Langone’s adult ADHD program, agrees, adding that ADHD is a “highly heritable disorder.” Dr. Adler tells Health, “We think…

Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to lag behind their peers long after they leave school, earning less as adults and living with their parents longer, a new study finds. This is often true even if the hallmark symptoms of the disorder — including inability to focus, hyperactivity, fidgetiness and impulsivity —…

About 4 percent of adults have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), says Harvard University Medical School. Adults with ADHD tend to have more difficulty with attention and memory, rather than with hyperactivity, as with children. To help manage ADHD in adults, the school suggests: