Catching up and then a few words on ADHD

As I sit down to write this newest post, I'm realizing just how long it's been since I've posted! Wow! Sorry for my slacking, but as usual, I have good couple excuses...

The STOVE IS GONE!!!! We have a beautiful glass top double oven which is amazing! And beautiful quartz countertop that has sparkle in it! We still have flooring and backsplash to do, so there will be more pics to come, but we're getting close!

My other really good excuse for my lack of posting is that I'm (drum roll please!!!) PREGNANT! So with pregnancy come exhaustion. Absolute, complete exhaustion. It's been all I can do to stay on top of paperwork at work (and let's not even chat about quality...) so the blog has been low on the totem pole. However, I have lots of ideas for blogging, but I need time!!

But, to start things off, I'd like to chat about ADHD. This is something my husband and I have been coming across lately. First, a few stats from the CDC:

• The American Psychiatric Association states in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) that 3%-7% of school-aged children have ADHD. 1  However, studies have estimated higher rates in community samples.
• Recent data from surveys of parents indicate that: 
  [Read article]
•  Approximately 9.5% or 5.4 million children 4-17 years of age have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, as of 2007.
• The percentage of children with a parent-reported ADHD diagnosis increased by 22% between 2003 and 2007. 
• Rates of ADHD diagnosis increased an average of 3% per year from 1997 to 2006 [Read article ] and an average of 5.5% per year from 2003 to 2007. 
• Boys (13.2%) were more likely than girls (5.6%) to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD. 
• Rates of ADHD diagnosis increased at a greater rate among older teens as compared to younger children. 
• The highest rates of parent-reported ADHD diagnosis were noted among children covered by Medicaid and multiracial children. 

ADHD is on the rise, there is no question about that. The question is why? ADHD falls on the same "spectrum" as Autism and related disorders...could the reasons for the rise of each be connected? It is intriguing, especially as I'm so convinced that our poor diets and toxin exposure are components of the rise of Autism. So it was interesting to me to come across on ADHD and gluten intolerance. As you read in my previous post on gluten, there is evidence that gluten intolerance and sensitivity is under diagnosed and potentially a root cause of many conditions. The protein in wheat can cause a reaction in the gut which can an inflammatory reaction and result in behavior challenges (which is why many children on the Autism Spectrum seem to improve with a gluten free diet). It can take months for a gluten free diet to work it's magic, give it at least six months. 

Here's another issue I have with ADHD (directly from Dr. Mercola):

ADHD involves a cluster of symptoms that include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors. There is no definitive diagnostic tool, such as a brain scan, to determine if you have ADHD. There’s only subjective evaluation, and, for better or worse, teachers can play a significant role in this evaluation.

Most children display a combination of these two traits, and may also show the following symptoms:

• Frequent fidgeting or squirming
• Feels restless or often runs and climbs excessively, or leaves his or her seat in the classroom when not appropriate
• Has difficulty playing quietly
• Talks excessively, interrupts often, and may blurt out answers to questions at inappropriate times
• Always seems on the go
• Has difficulty waiting his or her turn

As you can see, many of these “symptoms” could describe most children at one time or another! Therefore, only those who struggle with inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behaviors around the clock are candidates for the ADHD label.

Children who display these symptoms at school but not at home or with friends are not considered to have ADHD. Likewise, with children who display symptoms at home but not at school.

So if we look at these behaviors, how much of this could be related a high sugar diet? Almost all junk food and snack foods contain sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup. These foods affect your neurological system and can cause kids to be jittery and have difficulty focusing...do those fit the diagnosis criteria above? Yep! Think about the junk food that majority of children in this country eat. Think about the food in our cafeterias? It's all loaded with sugar to make it taste good. 

More on the theories of causes of ADHD from Dr. Mercola and his research:

• Sugars and Grains.  Children who consume highly processed foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup and fruit juices tend to have a higher rate and severity of these symptoms. While organic whole grains are superior to processed ones, many children with ADHD do not respond well to most grains, especially wheat.
• Genetic factors -- Some scientists are now aiming their research at finding genes that may make a person more susceptibleto this disorder
• Environmental toxins -- A 2006 study found that a mother's use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy could increase the risk for ADHD. Exposure to lead and mercury may also cause ADHD symptoms, and pesticides and the industrial chemicals polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have also been named as potential culprits.
• Allergic reactions -- Chemically-sensitive people may exhibit ADHD symptoms when exposed to something as simple as clothing washed with perfumed and chemical-laden soap. Permanent press or stain-resistant products also contain chemicals that can initiate ADHD-like reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Processed food additives – Certain food dyes and other additives may cause ADHD-like symptoms. These chemicals have a particularly pernicious synergy if they are combined with sugars such as fructose.
• Increased number of childhood vaccinations – One 2007 survey found a strong correlation between rates of neurological disorders, such as ADHD, and childhood vaccinations. Vaccine adjuvants have also been associated with ADHD-type neurological problems.
• Emotionally unstable home environments  Stress is the frequently unappreciated and overlooked variable that can easily worsen ADHD. If the parents are having trouble in their relationship this can easily influence the child’s behavior.
• Increased rates of birth interventions. This can result in birth trauma and lack of oxygen in the newborn, which significantly increases the risk of developmental delay.

When it comes to treatment of ADHD, doctors almost always turn to prescription medication. This infuriates me! These are KIDS! Giving them a powerful drug is not the answer, especially when diet changes and increased activity levels are showing to be as powerful. In my opinion, and the opinion of many, is that kids are being over diagnosed. So if a child is mis-diagnosed and then given a prescription medication, what will that drug do to that middle schooler who didn't really need it in the first place? How many drugs have come off the market recently because of side effects that are just now showing up? With prescription drugs we can never be too safe.

One more personal thought on the case: Because my husband spends his days with high schoolers, I get a very different perspective on many situations. The ADHD issue frequently comes up for him as he is dealing with teens and their IEPS or 504 plans. Because of his relationship with the kids in his school, he is also very aware of their sleeping and eating habits. Few go to bed before midnight (school starts at 7:30), nearly all of his students will admit that while trying to complete homework, they also have their cell phones, televisions, and computers on and are actively using social media (i.e. Facebook). I can barely have the TV on and complete a coherent blog post at the same time! Many rely on heavy doses of caffeinated beverages to keep going during the day. Our kids are eating a poor diet, over consuming caffeine, sleep deprived and over stimulated by our gadgets....it's no wonder we have an increase of diagnosed ADHD on the rise! Because of all that over stimulation, it wouldn't surprise me that when put in a quiet room (i.e. a classroom), many of these kids would not know what to do with themselves. How many of us have "quiet time" any more? I don't have ADHD but I definitely have a hard time staying still for too long (well, not since being pregnant....I could lay on the couch all day!) I didn't do a formal survey for the above information, but talk to a few teenagers...you'll see what I mean. 

If you have ADHD, have a child that has ADHD, or know someone who does, thinking about improving diet and exercise first before resorting to medication. This is a much simpler, most cost effective, and life-long way of dealing with behavior and concentration challenges. 

Here's hoping it won't be another month and a half before I post again :)