ADHD- Child Health

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Overview

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in children, which can also affect adults. Interestingly, and frequently, adults who have ADHD are diagnosed when they find out their children have ADHD. Thus, the problem is found to be running in families.

ADHD is more common in boys than in girls. People with ADHD have trouble paying attention at school, at home or at work. Even when they try to concentrate, they find it hard to pay attention. Children suffering from it may be a lot more active and/or impulsive than normal. For this reason, such children are sometimes seen as “difficult” or having behavioural problems. Their parents, teachers and caretakers have a hard time getting them to organise things, listen to instructions, remember details and control their behaviour. As a result, they often cannot get along with other people at home, school or work.

Common symptoms of ADHD include making careless mistakes, failing to complete tasks, difficulty in keeping track of things, becoming easily distracted, etc. Difficulty with hyperactivity can include excessive fidgetiness and squirminess, running around, excessive talking and being constantly on the go. Impulsivity can show up as impatience, difficulty awaiting one’s turn, blurting out answers and frequent interrupting. Children with ADHD may also suffer from low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. Symptoms sometimes lessen with age. However, some people never completely overcome their ADHD symptoms.

A treatment involving homeopathic medicines and behavioural interventions can help to a great extent with the symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in the outcome.

Incidence

Nearly 20% children have some form of ADHD, ranging from mild to severe.
Males are almost three times more likely than females to be diagnosed with ADHD.
The average age of ADHD diagnosis is seven years. Symptoms of ADHD, typically, first appear between the ages of three and six.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Causes

Heredity is the most common cause of ADHD.
Children whose mothers smoked tobacco or consumed alcohol during pregnancy are more prone to ADHD than others.
Children born with a low birth weight, premature babies, or those whose mothers had difficult pregnancies have a higher risk of ADHD.
Environmental factors such as lead exposure may increase the risk of ADHD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Symptoms

The symptoms of ADHD can be categorised into three types:

1. inattention

2. hyperactivity

3. impulsivity

Inattention

Some of the symptoms of inattentiveness in children include the following:

leaving tasks half-way, such as not completing the homework or a painting;
frequently moving from one uncompleted activity to another;
being disorganised in whatever they do;
difficulty in paying attention to detail;
lack of focus;
easily distracted with even the slightest noise or events that are usually ignored by others;
tendency to make careless mistakes; and
not listening to others or following social rules.

Hyperactivity

Hyperactive children show the following symptoms:

not able to sit in one place for a long time;
restlessness; running around the house frequently, even when it is not appropriate;
having trouble playing quietly;
excessive talking;
toddlers and preschoolers with ADHD moving around continuously, jumping on the furniture; and
having trouble participating in group activities that require sitting still.

Impulsivity

impatience;
difficulty waiting to talk or react;
starting with answers even before someone finishes the question;
constantly interrupting others while talking; and
prone to doing risky things without thinking about the consequences, leading to accidents and injuries.

Diagnosis

While ADHD can easily be identified on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms as well as feedback from parents, teachers and caretakers of the child, the following methods may be recommended by doctors to confirm the diagnosis:

There is no single test that can be used to diagnose ADHD among children and adults. It is diagnosed after a person has shown some or all of the symptoms on a regular basis for more than six months.
The Vanderbilt Assessment Scale is a test used for further confirmation of ADHD. It is a 55-question assessment tool, which reviews symptoms of ADHD. It also looks for other conditions for confirmation.
The Behaviour Assessment System for Children is a test that looks for hyperactivity, aggression and behavioural problems. It also looks for anxiety, depression, attention and learning problems, and a lack of certain essential skills.
The Child Behaviour Checklist/Teacher Report Form is a scale that helps diagnose ADHD by observing the child’s physical complaints and aggressive behaviour. This includes complaints from teachers or neighbours regarding the behaviour of the child.

Complications

Like any health condition, ADHD can have its complications. These complications can begin with troubles in the classroom, but also include a likelihood of accidents and injuries, trouble interacting with peers and a disposition to alcohol or drug use. Most common complications associated with ADHD are as follows:

Difficulty in school

The child’s academic performance is poor.
A child may be unfairly considered ‘stupid’ or ‘impossible to teach’ — a judgement that could lead to further academic failure.
Unfortunately, high school dropout rates are about twice as high for children with ADHD than those without.
Children with ADHD are more likely to develop oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), a pattern of hostile and insolent behaviour directed towards authority figures.
School-aged children with ADHD may have a harder time with reading, spelling, writing or mathematics.

Difficulty in social situations

Anxiety or depression is more common in children with ADHD.
Anxiety is especially common; it can both cause and increase worry and nervousness about being around, working and playing with others.

Other rare complications

ADHD does not cause any of the following problems, but they are more commonly present in people who have ADHD:

bipolar disorder: a mental condition marked by severe mood swings and shifts in energy levels;

conduct disorder: a child with conduct disorder may repeatedly lie, steal, act cruelly or violently towards other people and animals, or destroy property.

borderline personality disorder: an emotional disorder marked by mood swings, emotional instability and trouble interacting;

Tourette syndrome: a neurological condition characterised by repetitive, involuntary verbal and motor tics;

obsessive compulsive disorder: an anxiety disorder marked by impulsive, repetitive thoughts and actions, such as turning lights on and off in a particular sequence, being obsessed with washing hands repeatedly, etc.;

depression: a mental condition characterised by chronic feelings of sadness and disinterest; and

anxiety disorders: conditions that cause chronic feelings of worry, nervousness or fear, sometimes marked by phobias or episodes of panic.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Treatment

A study on children with ADHD found that children receiving homeopathy in addition to conventional care improved more than those receiving conventional treatment alone. The homeopathic group also showed continued improvement for at least a year after treatment.

A study in Switzerland evaluated 115 children (92 boys; 23 girls) with an average age of 8.3 years in the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. The children were treated with an individually chosen homeopathic medicine, while some were treated with allopathic medicine. After an average treatment time of 3.5 months, 75% children responded favourably to homeopathy, attaining an improvement rating of 73%. Almost 22% children treated with allopathy attained an improvement rating of 65%.

Homeopathic advantage

Conventional treatment: Brain stimulant (These medicines activate brains circuits that support attention and focused behaviour)

Possible side-effects of conventional treatment*: Decreased appetite, sleep troubles, may develop tics (Sudden repeated movements of sounds)

Advantages of homeopathy: No side-effects Improved personality

Why Dr H.M. Soni?

At Dr H.M. Soni we have a team of doctors, including senior paediatricians, who work extensively in the treatment of children with ADHD. Constitutional homeopathic medicines have proven to improve child development and behavioural skills.

Our treatment includes the following:

Understanding the root cause of ADHD in the child, namely:

emotional insecurity;
child abuse;
too much pampering.

Identifying triggering factors such as:

social influences;
intake of food preservatives; and
behavioural patterns in the family.

After understanding the root cause and triggering factors, we give natural homeopathic medicines, which include the following effects:

reduced restlessness, impatience and aggression;
easy to take;
no side-effects;
improved self-confidence and academic performance;
increased attention span; and
improved quality of life.

Nearly 20% children have some form of ADHD, ranging from mild to severe.

Males are almost three times more likely than females to be diagnosed with ADHD.

The average age of ADHD diagnosis is seven years. Symptoms of ADHD, typically, first appear between the ages of three and six.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Causes

Heredity is the most common cause of ADHD.

Children whose mothers smoked tobacco or consumed alcohol during pregnancy are more prone to ADHD than others.

Children born with a low birth weight, premature babies, or those whose mothers had difficult pregnancies have a higher risk of ADHD.

Environmental factors such as lead exposure may increase the risk of ADHD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Symptoms

Inattention

leaving tasks half-way, such as not completing the homework or a painting;

frequently moving from one uncompleted activity to another;

being disorganised in whatever they do;

difficulty in paying attention to detail;

lack of focus;

easily distracted with even the slightest noise or events that are usually ignored by others;

tendency to make careless mistakes; and

not listening to others or following social rules.

Hyperactivity

not able to sit in one place for a long time;

restlessness; running around the house frequently, even when it is not appropriate;

having trouble playing quietly;

excessive talking;

toddlers and preschoolers with ADHD moving around continuously, jumping on the furniture; and

having trouble participating in group activities that require sitting still.

Impulsivity

impatience;

difficulty waiting to talk or react;

starting with answers even before someone finishes the question;

constantly interrupting others while talking; and

prone to doing risky things without thinking about the consequences, leading to accidents and injuries.

Diagnosis

There is no single test that can be used to diagnose ADHD among children and adults. It is diagnosed after a person has shown some or all of the symptoms on a regular basis for more than six months.

The Vanderbilt Assessment Scale is a test used for further confirmation of ADHD. It is a 55-question assessment tool, which reviews symptoms of ADHD. It also looks for other conditions for confirmation.

The Behaviour Assessment System for Children is a test that looks for hyperactivity, aggression and behavioural problems. It also looks for anxiety, depression, attention and learning problems, and a lack of certain essential skills.

The Child Behaviour Checklist/Teacher Report Form is a scale that helps diagnose ADHD by observing the child’s physical complaints and aggressive behaviour. This includes complaints from teachers or neighbours regarding the behaviour of the child.

Complications

Difficulty in school

The child’s academic performance is poor.

A child may be unfairly considered ‘stupid’ or ‘impossible to teach’ — a judgement that could lead to further academic failure.

Unfortunately, high school dropout rates are about twice as high for children with ADHD than those without.

Children with ADHD are more likely to develop oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), a pattern of hostile and insolent behaviour directed towards authority figures.

School-aged children with ADHD may have a harder time with reading, spelling, writing or mathematics.

Difficulty in social situations

Anxiety or depression is more common in children with ADHD.

Anxiety is especially common; it can both cause and increase worry and nervousness about being around, working and playing with others.

Other rare complications

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Treatment

Homeopathic advantage

Why Dr H.M. Soni?

emotional insecurity;

child abuse;

too much pampering.

social influences;

intake of food preservatives; and

behavioural patterns in the family.

reduced restlessness, impatience and aggression;

easy to take;

no side-effects;

improved self-confidence and academic performance;

increased attention span; and

improved quality of life.