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Researchers have found a causal link between maternal nicotine use during pregnancy and a child having ADHD (Full text). The new study also hints-but doesn't prove-that nicotine-replacement products used during pregnancy, such as patches and gum, could pose the same risk to children.
In this large cohort of children followed up to 8 to 14 years of age, we found that both maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy were associated with an elevated risk for ADHD, based on hospital diagnosis, medication, and hyperactivity/inattention scores. The association was consistently stronger for maternal smoking than for paternal smoking and was also found for mother's use of nicotine replacement during pregnancy. These results suggest a causal effect of smoking (and nicotine) during fetal life or other factors related to maternal nicotine dependance. The findings for paternal smoking could reflect an effect of passive smoking but may also be a result of social or genetic confounding
(Score: -1, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday July 22 2014, @02:03PM
"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" is just a bullshit label used to medicalize typical childhood behavior and/or poor parenting.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by dyingtolive on Tuesday July 22 2014, @02:57PM
I don't completely agree with that. There are people for whom such a condition exists, I'm sure. I think I remember them as being the far end of the "special kid" spectrum in school. I just think it's vastly over-diagnosed, and is used to correct the "boys will be boys" syndrome.
I recall the teachers (being medical professionals, after all) trying to label me with ADD back in the day because I spent too much time daydreaming and wouldn't show work on math homework. What they couldn't wrap their heads around was that I could do long division when they were introducing multiplication, so it was something I'd been brow beat with years past, and I'm good at math. I was home-schooled before that year. The joys of public school, I guess.
Years later, most of those same teachers pulled the same shit with my 14 year old brother because he didn't give a damn about homework or classes, yet he would spend hours once he got home meticulously doing his own stop motion animation.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by meisterister on Tuesday July 22 2014, @03:20PM
Great Scot! Students aren't paying attention in boring, mandatory classes! Medicate them until they do!
(May or may not have been) Posted from my K6-2, Athlon XP, or Pentium I/II/III.
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:00PM
Interestingly, they never bothered by sisters with it and one of them was a mediocre student.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 4, Informative) by DrMag on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:58PM
This is correct; I have a good friend who is a psychiatrist that treats people who suffer from (true) ADHD, and know his son (who is an extreme case of ADHD) very well. It is indeed a real condition; it's a neurological problem where synapses don't quite work the way they should. Think of it as latency issues and dropped packets in the brain.
It is also treated as a blanket description of every distractable person out there, and that's not good. Medicating everyone just cheapens the attitude of people toward a real condition, and prevents people from getting the help they really need. Then everyone acts all surprised when someone does something bizarre, reprehensible, or tragic. If we weren't so fixated on getting a quick fix to every problem we encounter, maybe we could start doing something about mental health in this world.
(Score: 1) by goodie on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:03PM
While I am certain that there are special cases where children should be followed closely and maybe (even though I really not convinced about it...) medicated in some way, I think that if we play the correlation game we will find a lot of things that relate to so-called ADHD.
As far as I know it's a very North American thing anyway, although unfortunately it is starting to become popular across Europe as well (starting the in West of course).
When we had our first child, the (old) doctor told us, at the first visit (around 2 weeks I think?) that our boy was very energetic. She said it was absolutely a good thing (anyway not being from North America we didn't think so either) but that we should watch out where we put him in school later because he could be pinned as "troublesome" or "hyperactive" even though there's nothing wrong with him and he just needs to be stimulated and challenged often. She advised for sports and physical activities as a good way to "channel" this energy. I always wonder that'll be like later on when we have to actually find a school for him.
(Score: 4, Informative) by LaminatorX on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:35PM
Without meds, I end up with laundry mouldering on my basement floor next to the washing machine and utilities shut off for non-payment despite having thousands of dollars in the bank. With meds, I'm a functional adult.
While perhaps over-diagnosed, it is a very real thing.