The University of Alabama in Birmingham has completed a study on ADHD and how it may relate to deaths in children within the age range of 11 or younger.
Death in the age group of children 11 years or younger is caused primarily due to accidents. ADHD is highly associated with accidents and injuries in children due to the inability to control their out bursts, hyperactivity and lack of attention.
The risk is noted to be almost double and boys two times higher the risk than girls. Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD are within the 90th percentile of children most likely to claim injury.
ADHD causes the child to be hyper, quick to act or impulsive and have shorter attention spans with their mind wandering instead of focusing on what their doing.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost 5.4 million children between the ages of 4 and 17 in the United States alone, have been diagnosed with ADHD.
ADHD is not only found in younger children. Adults can also have issues with the disorder. The disease is more prominent in children but teens and adults have been known be diagnosed later in life.
ADHD can have tremendous affects on school activities, work, especially with teenagers who have part time jobs or summer jobs, and can affect other areas of physical and emotional health.
The American Psychological Association classifies ADHD as a behavioral disorder that causes the inability to focus on daily routine and directions. Such as a small child being instructed not to jump off a chair and the child continues to do the act. Defiant behavioral outbursts are examples of the behavioral issues.
According to the latest news from ABC News the latest statistics show 1 out of 10 children are being diagnosed with ADHD. The percentage has gone up almost 2% in the last ten years.
It has not been determined what the main causes are but most of the children being diagnosed live in low-come homes, are from the south or Midwest, and that the disease is genetically based.
Parents should be proactive and learn all they can about this disorder so as to know how to help treat it. Medications alone cannot provide the child with a productive life. Parents participation is greatly needed as well as patience and understanding that the child cannot control the chemical imbalance and that the children themselves will also need assistance in understanding the disorder.
Understanding and learning all you can about the differences between mental health and mental illness, or conditions and disorders associated with mental health will give you a great awareness of the struggles young children are dealing with in today’s society.
Divorce, unemployment, dysfunctional families and peer pressure can all play extreme roles in the development and growth of a young child’s mind and emotional stability. As parents it’s our duty to make sure they have the best life we can provide on all levels and one of the most important factors of that is understanding.
For more information on ADHD, diagnosing, and treating go to American Psychological Association at http://www.apa.org/topics/adhd/index.aspx or Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov
