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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
There is very little that can be done to prevent any of the known risk factors that are either genetic or in some other way unpreventable, which are known to be associated with the development of ADHD.
There is though much that can be done to prevent some of the risk factors that are controllable and so prevent much of the extreme behavioural problems associated with ADHD or even prevent it from occurring in the first place in some circumstances.
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Ways to possibly reduce the risk of a child developing ADHD in the first place (or at least reducing some of the symptoms associated with ADHD):
- Pregnant mothers should not smoke - studies show that even when breastfeeding, mothers should not smoke any type of cigarettes, as the toxic chemicals in the cigarettes can pass through the placenta to the unborn foetus and cause adverse effects to the baby, leading to possible behavioural problems and ADHD
- Pregnant mothers should not drink - studies show that even when breastfeeding, mothers should not drink any alcohol as the alcohol can pass through the placenta to the unborn foetus and cause adverse effects to the baby (a condition called foetal alcohol syndrome), leading to possible behavioural problems and ADHD
- Breastfeeding mothers should not smoke - studies show that even when breastfeeding, mothers should not smoke any type of cigarettes, as the toxic chemicals in the cigarettes can enter the breast milk and cause adverse effects to the baby, leading to possible behavioural problems and ADHD
- Breastfeeding mothers should not drink - studies show that even when breastfeeding, mothers should not drink any alcohol as the alcohol can enter the breast milk and cause adverse effects to the baby, leading to possible behavioural problems and ADHD
- Reduce exposure to lead - children should be kept away from busy roads, where they are exposed to car fumes, which can contain lead; in addition, try to avoid older buildings where lead paint has been used
- Ensure adequate omega 3 EFA in the diet - pregnant and breastfeeding women should ensure there is adequate omega-3 EFA in their child's diet so that their brain is developing in a healthy manner
- Avoid artificial additives - studies have shown that artificial additives (colours, flavours, preservatives) are known to cause many behavioural problems in young children and should be eliminated from the diet to reduce incidence of these problems
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< 3: causes of ADHD 5: risk factors for ADHD > Last reviewed: 7 October 2007 || Last updated: 3 January 2009
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
