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- What is ADHD?
- Symptoms of ADHD
- Causes of ADHD
- Prevention of ADHD
- Risk factors for ADHD
- Complications of ADHD
- When to see a doctor about ADHD
- Diagnosis of ADHD
- Conventional treatment of ADHD
- Alternative/complementary treatment of ADHD
- Living with ADHD
- Caring for someone with ADHD
Even with over 30 years of research into this condition, scientists still do not know exactly what causes ADHD, although many theories have been proposed (and most lie in the realms of neurobiology or genetics, but there are new theories every day).
Some of the possible causes of ADHD that have been proposed are listed here (and some children's ADHD could be a combination of a number of these causes, not every child will have the same causes in any case):
Environmental chemicals
Studies show that certain environmental chemicals may play a role in causing ADHD to some extent
- Alcohol - studies show that women who drink alcohol while pregnant have a greater risk for having a child who will develop ADHD
- Cigarette smoke - studies show that women who smoke while pregnant have a greater risk for having a child who will develops ADHD
- Lead - studies show that children who are exposed to lead (either through lead paint in their house or from pollution from busy roads) are more likely to develop ADHD
Food additives
A recent study completed in 2007 has suggested that food additives cause ADHD symptoms such as impulsive, hyperactivity, inattentiveness, impulsiveness and the authors of this study advised parents they should remove all food additives from children's diet in order to stop symptoms - the problem additives are artificial food colours and preservatives.
Genetics
ADHD seems to run in families with about 25% of people in families of people with ADHD also have this condition (while the general populace has a rate of 5%).
Sugar
Some studies have shown either no effect (or a negligible one) of sugar causing ADHD; other studies have shown that a diet high in refined sugar does cause behavioural problems in children especially, while other studies show that some children with ADHD have problems with the way they process sugar.
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Nutritional deficiencies
Some research suggests that nutritional deficiencies may play a part in causing some ADHD symptoms, especially of the minerals magnesium and zinc and especially omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Social factors and child rearing techniques
There is currently no proof that ADHD is caused solely by social factors or how a child is raised, but it is well-known that if these these (and if they are very negative), they can play a very detrimental role in exacerbating existing ADHD.
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