With an average of three to four million children taking prescribed stimulant medications to control symptoms of ADHD, the list of possible side effects is not only long, but daunting as well.
There are new studies that may provide some hope for sufferers and parents alike. However, research has revealed that perhaps parents will not have to medicate their children and expose them to prescription-related risks at all.
Imaging studies at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) say that some youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder displayed normal patterns of brain maturation, but with delayed growth of up to three years in the regions responsible for controlling judgment, behavior, planning, and attention.
What does this mean for our kids? “Finding a normal pattern of cortex maturation, albeit delayed, in children with ADHD should be reassuring to families and could help to explain why many youth eventually seem to grow out of the disorder,” said research team leader Dr. Philip Shaw, of the NIHM Child Psychiatry Branch. With this finding, parents can delay beginning ADHD meds on young children, and first see if their child will “outgrow” the disorder with age.
Prior studies neglected to see the developmental delay since they were studying only the relatively large lobes of the brain. The new imaging measured the thickening and thinning of thousands of cortex sites in hundreds of children and teens. The studies showed both those with and without the disorder displayed a similar back-to-front progression of brain maturation, with various regions peaking in thickness at different times.
However, the studies are not suggesting that parents immediately rely on imaging alone to support a diagnosis. Although cortex developmental delay was marked, predicting the outcome from a single individual versus a group study is not enough. Further, ADHD diagnosis remains clinical, based on personalized information from the child, family, and teachers. Do not assume the child will outgrow the problem. Early understanding and diagnosis is the first step.
In addition, not all children will outgrow the disorder. Researchers at the NIMH Child Psychiatry Branch are still testing theories to uncover the differences between those that have a good outcome and those who do not.
In the meantime, there are many safe, natural alternatives available to promote brain health and functioning in children. Perhaps considering adding these supplements to your child’s daily routine can eliminate entering the routine of a life-long dependency on unnecessary …
