ADHD overdiagnosed in youngest in class

By MyHealthNewsDaily staff

The youngest children in their school grade are more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than their slightly older peers in the same grade, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at ADHD diagnoses in nearly 1 million children in British Columbia, where the cutoff date for entering school in any year is Dec. 31. In other words, children born in January are the oldest in their grade; children born just before the cutoff in December are the youngest.

They found that children born in December were 39 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, and 48 percent more likely to be treated with medication for the condition compared with children born in January.

ADHD is diagnosed based on children's behavior ; there is no objective test for the condition.

"Our study suggests younger, less mature children are inappropriately being labeled and treated," study researcher Richard Morrow, of the University of British Columbia, said in a statement. "It is important not to expose children to potential harms from unnecessary diagnosis and use of medications."

The new findings are line with those of two previous studies, and were published today (March 5) in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder in children. As of 2007, 9.5 percent of U.S. children had been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new research included children who were between the ages of 6 and 12 at any point during the 11-year period between 1997 and 2008.

Of the approximately 39,000 boys in the study born in December, 7.4 percent were diagnosed with ADHD, while among same number of boys born in January, 5.7 percent were diagnosed, according to the study.

Of the 37,000 girls born in December, 2.7 percent were diagnosed with ADHD, whereas 1.6 percent of girls born in January were labeled as having the condition.

The researchers noted that the percentage of children diagnosed and treated for ADHD increased gradually over the study, and peaked in the most recent years. An increase has also been observed in the U.S. — according to the CDC, rates of ADHD diagnoses increased 5.5 percent per year between 2003 and 2007.

The new findings are in line with those of a 2010 study published in the Journal of Health Economics. That study found that the oldest children in a grade were 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the youngest.

Those researchers said a children's maturation may play a role in ADHD diagnoses.

"We believe that younger children may be mistakenly diagnosed as having ADHD, when in fact they are simply less mature," study researcher Melinda Morrill, of North Carolina State University, said in a statement at the time.

Medication to treat ADHD can have negative health effects in children, such as sleep disruption, increased risk of cardiovascular problems and slower growth rates, the researchers of the new study wrote in their findings. However, one recent study of 1.2 million children found no increased risk of heart problems associated with drugs commonly use to treat ADHD.

An ADHD diagnosis may affect a child's social life as well, the researchers of the new study said, as teachers and parents might treat children differently, and children may develop negative ideas about themselves.

The findings, along with the fact that there is no objective test to diagnose ADHD, "strongly suggest caution be taken in assessing children for this disorder and providing treatment," the researchers wrote in their conclusion.

The risk of misdiagnosing a child with the condition might be lowered by placing a greater emphasis on children's behavior outside of school, they wrote.

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Comment author avatarJanine-1645002

I like this study. It makes perfect sense to me. When my brothers and I went to school, it was commonplace that if you were going to be 5 before the 2nd half of the year, you could start Kindegarten that coming Sept. As such 2 of my brothers and I started when we were 4, and graduated hs at 17. We might have been 6mos or so younger than many of our classmates, but none of us ever had any trouble with the work, nor did we need drugs to keep us on track.

Our culture is too drug happy, and our health care providers support that obsession. The doctors get their kickbacks..the drug companies get their profits...and we raise our next generation of kids hooked on drugs. Everyone is happy.

  • 2 votes
Reply#1 - Tue Mar 6, 2012 1:22 PM EST
Comment author avatarSpryLynnx

Well said Janine!

My once very happy-go-lucky adorable three year old suddenly turned into a real handful by acting out very violently, especially against the day care worker and kids. Not sure what was going on with him, as he wasn't able to verbalize it, I brought him to a child psychiatrist and within 20 minutes of watching him play with some blocks she diagnosed him with ADHD and wanted to put him on Ridlin, or similar drug. I told her she was a NUT JOB, a DANGER to kids and should have her license revoked...he was 3 friggen years old!

I figured it out myself and determined he was suffering from abandonment issues as his dad was often deployed for months at a time, and although my oldest had adjusted to them, my youngest obviously didn't and this became a repeat pattern whenever he was gone.

Parents need to be the best advocate for their child. I was VERY HYPER and would easly have been labeled ADHD had it been around in the late 60's/early 70's even though I was a high achiever. I can't believe our society accepts the drugging of small children who don't fall within a psychological description or realm of what "normal" is or should be. Too many kids are singled out for looks, clothing, and other adolesent issues, so I find it outrageous that parents and those supposedly working in the best interest of a child, are actually STIGMATIZING them further by labelling them with a mental disorder! ITS NUTS!

    #1.1 - Wed Mar 7, 2012 1:17 PM EST
    Reply
    Comment author avatarYepYepYeppers

    Boys especially have a hard time sitting still until 7 or 8. Why don't we re-think our screwed up public school system who ask these little ones to sit in a desk and try to concentrate like little adults for 6 hrs a day! No, lets just give them drugs to MAKE them concentrate! Who knows what the lasting effect will be on their brains, but at least test scores are up!

    Honestly, my children were at a elementary school where Adderall was being prescribed for a couple of children only for test day!

    Pathetic! Where has REAL learning gone????

      Reply#2 - Wed Mar 7, 2012 7:00 AM EST
      Comment author avatarsuet

      I had ADHD when I was young. My dad knocked it out of me. I learned to sit still and pay attention or else face punishment. But I guess it is easier to just give them a pill and blame it on a "disorder" than to teach them there are consequences for everything in life.

        Reply#3 - Wed Mar 7, 2012 8:58 AM EST
        Comment author avatarNo Career Politicans

        I worked in pediatrics for 25 years. ADHD or ADD can't even be diagnosed before age 6 and yet people start giving kids as young as 3 drugs. Little boys aren't allowed to be boys anymore. It used to be that if you had a boy that didn't break something you were too pertective now you get charged with child abuse.

        My brother was one of the first kids put on Ritalin back in the 60's and all he learned was how to be a drug addict. Still to this day he has not aquired the skills he should have and my mom makes excuses for him instead of getting tough and requiring more. He learned that being a bully was OK because he was "special". I no longer speak to him because he's just an a-hole. So parents, don't give your kids drugs-do what people used to do, discipline your kids. Do the work of parenting and start young. Parents job is to teach their kids how to behave in public, your job when you are a child is to learn how to be an adult. Life has consequences-reward for a good job and punishiment when you need it.

        • 1 vote
        Reply#4 - Wed Mar 7, 2012 12:11 PM EST
        Comment author avatarJosephine-1266256

        I am an educator who has worked with learning disabled children for 30 years, and have been through all of the ritalin ADD/HD controversy since it first began. ADD/HD is real and those who suffer have very hard lives. Just like the common cold, dyslexia and schizophrenia are often misdiagnoses or applied, so is ADD/HD. Like many learning/behavior disorders, diagnosis is not simple and involves a variety of factors.

        I think that as a society we diminish the real effects of a variety of legitimate and very difficult conditions. People routinely joke about having Alzhiemers beause they forget where they put the keys or being dyslexic because they reverse a number or a letter. These things are usually meant harmlessly, but i believe they have an effect on our overall attitude that these things aren't serious and they make for great mocking by comedians and bullies.

        Teachers and parents searching for answers to behavior problems they cannot manage will grasp for the nearest easiest explanation.This is human nature, but that doesnt make it right. But this is not the whole story. The other side of that coin is all of those who are not diagnosed because of denial and fear. That tragedy is just as large and just as great.

        Few things are more tragic than seeing an ADD/HD sufferer being told to just try harder or seeing a young child wrongfully diagnosed struggle to overcome something they dont have. . Both of these situations are real. Many children need a parental boot in the behind to solve their behavior problems and others need real help from real professionals. Neither of these situations should be denied or trivialized.

          Reply#5 - Wed Mar 7, 2012 2:34 PM EST
          Comment author avatarfriendofsquid

          It is common sense that the youngest in the class may (not always) have more difficulty paying attention and sitting. So glad the "professionals" are finally catching on. Oh, brother!

            Reply#6 - Wed Mar 7, 2012 3:41 PM EST
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