Sugar Not the Culprit

A team of researchers from the University of Wales reviewed scientific studies on factors contributing to ADHD and found that sugar is not as much of a factor as many people think.

"ADHD...has a strong genetic link, with half the children born of parents with diagnosed ADHD likely to develop the disorder themselves. Chemical imbalances in the brain are also involved and studies have found that children with the condition have on average 4% smaller brains."

Because they know sugar is an energy source, parents often expect their kids to act more hyper and fidgety after having sugar - but that doesn't usually happen. While food allergies can sometimes cause ADHD-like behavior, they don't actually aggravate ADHD. Source: Huliq.com.

New Study Launched by Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Though it's relatively easy to find information on how to treat ADHD, information for making an accurate diagnosis is harder to come by. To that end, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has launched what's being called an "unprecedented" study to find causes and early warning signs of ADHD among pre-school age children.

"ADHD is frequently diagnosed but little is known about the causes, despite all the published research. Today there are no diagnostic criteria for ADHD in children under 6 years of age. The ADHD study intends to address many unanswered questions around the causes of this condition."

What makes the study unique is that researchers have access fetal and early infancy biological information, including blood samples from both parents and the child's umbilical cord. The samples will allow for testing of both genetic and environmental links to ADHD. Read more at MediLexicon.com.

Link Shown Between ADHD and Food Colorings and Additives

Suspicions have loomed for years about a possible link between ADHD and artificial food colors and additives. But now, a research team from Great Britain has scientific proof that such a link exists.

"For the study the researchers distributed drinks for a six week period, containing preservatives and colors similar to those mixed in common commercial drinks to a group of 153 three-year-old children and 144 eight- and nine year-olds who had been selected at random."

Children were given either a drink with the food colors and additives or a placebo. Teachers and parents were then asked to evaluate their behavior. The children who were given the given the drinks with food coloring and additives were found be more hyperactive and had shorter attention spans.

At the Aspen Institute, children can get an educational evaluation, a psychosocial evaluation, and a behavioral assessment. Visit www.aspenassessment.com to learn more.