Second-hand Smoked Linked to ADHD

A recent study by the University of Washington found that exposure to second-hand smoke increases a pregnant woman's risk for having a child with ADHD or conduct disorder. A total of 171 children participated in the study and were divided into three groups: children whose mothers smoked, children whose mothers were exposed to second-hand smoke, and children whose mothers were in a smoke-free environment during the final two trimesters of pregnancy.

"The UW researchers found that those children whose mothers had been exposed to tobacco smoke either by smoking or by being around smokers when they were pregnant had more symptoms of ADHD and conduct disorder..."

It's believed that nicotine is the compound which affects brain development during the last two trimesters and is the cause of ADHD and conduct disorder. Read more at News-Medical.net.

Does your child seem to have little or no regard for the feelings of others? Is your teen aggressive toward you or peers, even destructive or physically cruel? Has your adolescent ever threatened to assault you?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, this could indicate a serious behavioral problem: conduct disorder. Learn more about conduct disorder from the factsheet that explains what conduct disorder is and how you can help your child.

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.

Smoking Linked to Problems In Focusing and Paying Attention

Scientists at Yale University found a link between smoking and a teen's ability to pay attention and focus on tasks involving hearing and sight.

Teens whose mothers smoked during pregnancy performed the worst on a series of tests that evaluate the ability to understand visual and auditory cues. Teens who smoked themselves did better, but those teens who never smoked and who were not exposed to prenatal smoke scored the best.

Exposure to smoke affected male auditory development, but it affected both auditory and visual development in girls.

Dr. Leslie K. Jacobsen of Yale University School of Medicine said, "The present findings underscore the importance of developing smoking prevention programs that target women of childbearing age." About 16 percent of pregnant women are smokers.

Attention Problems Tied to Teen Smoking

Warnings against women smoking during pregnancy aren't new. But researchers have recently discovered that teens who were exposed to nicotine while still in the womb and who also smoke have increased attention problems. A total of 92 adolescents who were exposed to smoke and 89 who were not were tested on their abilities to focus on both auditory and visual cues.

"The study found that teen boys who smoked and were exposed to nicotine in the womb were the most vulnerable, showing significant problems paying attention to things they heard... Those who did not smoke and whose mothers did not smoke while pregnant fared best."

Though nicotine isn't exclusively responsible for causing attention problems, the study shows that it can play a significant role. Read more at Boston.com.