Monday, June 29, 2009

Doctor Discusses ADHD Drug Study

A recent study of ADHD medication reported that kids who take certain prescription drugs for ADHD symptoms may be at increased risk for sudden death. The news shocked many parents, and doctors are worried that some may take their children off their medications without consulting their doctors.

Dr. Ellen Schumann with the Ministry Medical Group says, "[ADHD] is also a condition that can be life threatening. Those kids don't have the ability to stop and think before they do. Their accident rate is much higher. They engage in risky behaviors." (Source: WAOW-TV - Wisconsin)

Doctors continue to encourage concerned parents to talk to their children's pediatricians to better understand whether the risk of sudden death applies to their child, and to discuss possible alternatives to medication.

Labels: medications, risks

posted by 4adhd.com at 7:56 AM

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

In Utero Exposure to Smoking Can Increase Risk of ADHD

A recent study conducted by members of the Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, and St. Louis, Missouri finds that a woman who smokes during pregnancy increases her child's risk of ADHD.

"When genetic factors are combined with prenatal cigarette smoke exposure, the ADHD risk... increased 3 to 9 fold."

The study was conducted using both male and female twin pairs, aged 7-19 years, to determine if there was in fact a relationship between genetic variations, prenatal smoke exposure, and ADHD.Read more at Elsevier.com.

Help for parents of troubled teens can be found at ByParents-ForParents. Parents of troubled teens can get help in the form of online resources and articles to help parents of troubled teens.

Labels: risks, smoking, studies