Good Parenting

What is the cause of ADHD? One fact is absolutely certain and that is there is no ONE cause of ADHD. ADHD causes which have gained a certain credence over the years have been many and varied and include bad parenting, too much media exposure and of course sugary food. All these are myths and have been debunked in recent years. What is certain now is that there are many co-factors involved.

It seems that there is a problem in the child’s brain and so researchers have looked at mothers during pregnancy as one way to throw light on a possible cause of ADHD. It is possible that the foetus was damaged by alcohol, smoking, lead and other toxins and maybe there was some interaction between the genes and these toxic substances which would result in abnormal development of the child’s brain. What we do know is that ADHD children’s brains are 3% to 4% smaller than those of normal children.

There is a strong genetic link in that all ADHD children have at least one close relative who suffers from this disorder. It is estimated that at least 30% of fathers who had ADHD as children will have children themselves who have ADHD. Interestingly enough, a majority of identical twins suffer from ADHD.

Many parents are convinced that food is the cause of ADHD. This is fiction because the condition is present long before children start eating. However we now know for a fact that certain food colourings (the infamous ‘Dirty Six’) may cause behaviour disorders and lead to hyperactivity in children. From the end of 2009, food manufacturers in UK and Europe will be asked to find substitutes for these in their products.

Another fact is that there is a chemical imbalance in an ADHD child’s brain. Researchers have studied the areas of the brain which controls our impulses and affects our attention span. These areas in ADHD children were found to be less active than those of normal children. That would account for the lack of attention and also impulsiveness.

We can be sure now that there is no single cause of ADHD. It seems more that likely that ADHD causes are genetics, toxins in the environment (especially during pregnancy) and how the brain functions and chemical imbalances there. Whatever the cause, the treatment of ADHD has formed a never ending debate. ADHD medications which are composed mainly of amphetamines have some lasting side effects so many parents are turning to ADHD natural cures as they know that the cost is contained while there are no side effects and they are completely safe.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, March 14th, 2009 at 4:03 pm and is filed under Good Parenting.