ADHD

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Comment by Bob Brooks on April 6, 2008 at 1:41pm

BPA could = ADHD
I’ve heard that an ingredient in plastic called Bisphenol A (BPA) is very harmful and is getting into foods and beverages from common containers, like can goods and water bottles. Depending on whom you talk to, BPA is either perfectly safe or a dangerous health risk. Some say that BPA is the contributor to a sharp raise in ADHD, Autism and cancer.
According to its critics, BPA mimics naturally occurring estrogen, a hormone that is part of the endocrine system, the body's finely tuned messaging service.

What do you think? Is the real or just more media hype?

If you’re interested in learning both sides of the story, I found these sites to be helpful. Published by the American Chemistry Council - http://www.bisphenol-a.org and from for the authors of Our Stolen Future -http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/oncompounds/bisphenola/bpauses.htm

---Bob

Comment by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on April 4, 2008 at 4:00pm

Hello! I am Wendy Gammon, one of the WEGO Health Research Experts. I feel a special connection to the world of ADHD.
Observing my youngest nephew since birth, his parents and I watched their second child exhibit patterns of behavior frankly unknown to any of us. His mother, my sister, had been a quiet, studious and extremely bright and reflective child, working her way up to the rare air of Phi Beta Kappa at Yale. Her husband, the child's father, was also a studious type with a very laid back demeanor. Both are incredibly pleasant, bright and loving people, and great parents. They are both physicians.

From the get go, my nephew never napped. Never. Never sat still, and still cannot sit squarely on his chair for a complete meal. Most of the time, he stands while eating, at times leaning against the back of his chair. He eventually needs to be released like a tightly wound spring part way through the main course to release his energy by moving, moving.

A battery of psychological tests accompanied visits to pediatric neurologists, child psychologists, plain garden variety pediatricians, you name it. The diagnostic testing was expensive and stressful for everyone and rarely gave value for money spent. Diagnoses were vague and typically contained combinations of the words "neurological", "cognitive", "disorder" and "impairment". His IQ is well above normal.

Last year at the age of 7, he was finally diagnosed with ADHD.

By definition, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is very common, being a chronic behavioral disorder characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. It is found in adults and children, and may affect 5 - 10% of the adolescent population.

It was therefore with great personal interest that I read a recently published article from the December 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. It described findings from a 20 year project studying adolescents and ADHD.

Conducted by researchers from the US and Finland, the study tracked nearly 10,000 Finnish children from early fetal stage through adolescence (16 - 18 years old) to document the many facts of ADHD, including diagnosis and management.
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I think the study made some interesting observations on ADHD:
1. The estimated occurrence of ADHD among these adolescents had a male - female ratio of 5.7 to 1.
Wow. This was a real revelation to me.

2. ADHD symptoms change with age. The hyperactivity and impulsivity decrease with age. The inattention increases.
I am not sure if this is a bad or good trade off as the ADHD child matures. What are your thoughts?

3. ADHD is associated with increased rates of later psychiatric problems like depression, anxiety and so-called oppositional behaviors such as arguing and bullying. There also appears to be a correlation of increased rates of civil conduct disorders such as vandalism and school truancy.
How do you feel about these statistics? What are your experiences?

4. Two genes, DBH and DRD2, are involved in the regulation of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain involved in attention, motivation and emotion. It was interesting and exciting that these genes were identified in the ADHD children in the study.

I find this very exciting and very promising--so much is being done with gene therapy now. What are your thoughts on this?

You can review the article at:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94801.php


There are other interesting ADHD observations in the article. Do any stand out for you or touch a personal nerve?
Share with us----so we can learn and support each other through knowledge and experience.