ADHD Diagnosed as Young as 4-Years-Old

I was “one of those kids” with a very short attention span and ADHD only really became a common term in my generation when I reached high school. Some people may say that it “wasn’t treated before” and that doctors are just making up new “terms and conditions” for kids being young and energetic, etc., but I really believe in ADHD and how it can affect a child’s life, and especially their education and chances of success later in life. It important to recognize it as a chronic illness.  New Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics say that children as young as four can be diagnoses and treated for ADHD.

The previous research was more than a decade old and covered children from 6 to 12, but with more research and understanding of the issues surrounding ADHD in children, the upper limit was also expanded to include teenagers to age 18.

Toddlers with ADHD have behavior issues that go beyond the normal challenges of early childhood. Anger is generally a problem, as are tantrums. A toddler with ADHD may refuse to sit in a high chair or stroller, and needs to be in seemingly constant motion. Even at this young age, they struggle with controlling their impulses—they may hit other children and become disruptive while playing with other children.

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Dr. Mark Wolraich, lead author of the report released Sunday at the AAP National Conference in Boston, “There is now enough evidence to address this broader age range,” he said. “We know that identifying and treating kids at a young age is important … because the earlier we can provide treatment, the better chance of success.”

ADHD affects some 8% of children and teens and is the most common neurological disorder in youngsters. Behavior such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, poor social skills and inability to follow directions are the main indicators. It is not thought best to medicate the youngest patients, rather try to help them over come the condition with behavioral therapy and parental training. Showing them consistency and structure around meal, bath and bed times can be important.

However Wolraich, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, who has been studying the condition since the 1970s says low doses of Ritalin can assist even the youngest cases where other therapies do not produce results.

Some studies have shown that those with ADHD are at greater risk of dropping out of school, car accidents, substance abuse and its well known they can be difficult to deal with; subject to tantrums and generally distracted.

For older children who are already in school the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends both medication and behavioral therapy.

Some doctors are applauding these new guidelines because kids who don’t get treated are at a much higher risk for everything from low self-esteem to poor grades to being socially immature. It is sometimes thought that they can go many years with daily reminders that they can’t do what other kids do, which wears them down. Parents have to be their child’s advocate and get them the help they need and get it early.

If you would take a child with a vision problem to an optometrist for glasses, why would we not treat kids who have trouble with their brain circuitry?

Here are some quick facts on ADHD in toddlers according to Reader’s Digest: 

• Toddlers with ADHD seem to have a low sense of danger, so they require an especially watchful eye to help them avoid accidents.
• No one knows what causes ADHD.
• A child with ADHD will show signs of the problem very early on, but you may not realize there’s a problem until your child starts nursery school.
• Problems with speech or hearing can also mimic ADHD symptoms.
• Because ADHD symptoms often look like typical toddler behavior, it’s difficult to diagnose the condition in children under five.

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Warning: Limit Children’s Sun Exposure

Today the American Academy of Pediatrics issued an alarming statement and policy urging parents across America to limit their children’s sun exposure. The AAP policy released “Ultraviolet Radiation: a Hazard to Children and Adolescents,” published in the March 2011 print issue of Pediatrics (published online Feb. 28), offering guidance to parents and pediatricians on skin cancer prevention and safe sun exposure practices. It stated, “Lifelong sun protection is recommended starting at an early age. Education about UVR exposure is important for all children, especially those at high risk for developing skin cancer: children with light skin and eyes, who freckle or sunburn easily, or have a family history of melanoma. Pediatricians should advise children, parents and teens about the dangers of UVR exposure.” It is important as parents that we teach our children to be responsible about the sun – it goes a long way in preventing signs of skin cancer!

Their recommendations for children were to:

1. wear proper clothing and hats, timing outdoor activities to minimize peak midday sun (10 am-4 pm) when possible
2. apply sunscreen
3. wear sunglasses
4. Infants younger than 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight and protected with clothing and hats.

The policy also urges support of a new legislation that will prohibit children under 18 from using tanning devices or going to tanning salons.

According to Thomas Rohrer, M.D., Secretary of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, “melanoma is the most common skin cancer in children. In addition, only six severe sunburns in a lifetime increase risk of melanoma by 50 percent. It is important that parents, teachers and physicians encourage sun avoidance and protection by monitoring their children’s moles and freckles for the ABCDEs—asymmetry, border irregularity, color variation, diameter, and evolving; encourage children to wear at least 30 SPF sunscreen and reapply it every 2 to 3 hours spent outdoors…One study estimated a 78% drop in skin cancer risk if parents protect their children from significant sun exposure in the first 18 years of life.”

Scarily the AAP’s report also discusses that people of all ages continue to overexpose themselves to harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun, especially in tanning salons. According to the AAP’s report, “The use of tanning salons is a common practice among teenagers, especially females. In a national survey, 24 percent of non-Hispanic white teenagers 13 to 19 years of age used a tanning facility at least once. The intensity of UVR radiation produced by some tanning units can be 10 to 15 times higher than the midday sun. Along with the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Dermatology, the AAP supports legislation prohibiting access to tanning salons or use of artificial tanning devices by children under the age of 18.”

Do you think that minors tanning in tanning salons should be illegal and banned? If it is illegal to smoke before the age of 18 due to cancer and other health risks, shouldn’t tanning salons for minors be illegal too?

Take the proper steps and protect your children! Le Top offers swimwear (note: with no UV protection), but also cover-ups and hats to help protect your children’s delicate skin from the sun. Be safe and enjoy your vacations this spring!

(clockwise for top left) Le Top "Ship Ahoy-boys" terry hooded cover-up, "Beach Keen Monokinis" hibiscus beach dress and sunhat, "Sunny Duck-boys" cover-up shirt, swim trunks and hat, "Beachy Keen Monokinis" waves and bubbles beach dress and sunhat.

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Solid Foods Before Four Months in Formula-Fed Babies Raises Risk of Obesity?

Is breast best? I was just speaking with my good friend Megan yesterday about how long she plans on breast-feeding before she starts her twins on solid foods. She wasn’t sure, but knew she was surely going to start weaning in the next few months now that they are a little over 4 months old. New mothers are often faced with a dilemma about how long they should breastfeed their babies and when they can start their little ones on solid foods.

According to World Health Organization recommendations, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months. In addition, the current US guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies should be fed solid foods after six months of age. But some argue that delaying the introduction of solid foods might actually promote unhealthful eating habits by preventing babies from developing tastes for such things as bitter foods (including leafy greens).

It was announced yesterday that the “AAP’s journal, Pediatrics has published the results of a research carried out by the Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard University scientists who found that babies who were fed solids before they turned four months old, are six times as likely to become obese, by the time they are 3 years old. This was seen in babies who were never breastfed or were weaned away before they completed four months. However, in children who were breastfed, the timing of introduction of solid foods had no effect on the obesity risk, at age three.”

In the study, researchers tracked 847 babies, 33% were on formula feeds while 67% were breastfed. Researchers collected and analyzed data about the timing of introduction of solid foods, height and weight for the three-year period, and measured fat on skin folds, to arrive at the results.

Why is this all so important? The study explains:
The researchers point out, “Our data suggest that increased adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines has the potential to reduce the risk of obesity in children in the United States, given the relatively high prevalence of infants who are formula- fed or breastfed for less than 4 months. Approximately one-quarter of infants in the United States are never breastfed, and approximately half are breastfed for less than 4 months.”

What do you think about this study and do you think this study rings true with your children? Please share your experiences!

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