Youngest Kids With ADHD in Class No Less Likely to See Diagnosis Fade
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2023 -- Experts have long wondered whether diagnoses for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the youngest children in a class would hold.
A new study suggests that being the youngest, and possibly most immature, did not appear to make a difference.
“We know the youngest children in their year group are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD -- but many believe this is because they lag behind their older classmates,” explained senior study author Dr. Samuele Cortese, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.
“However, no one has ever explored if these younger children who are diagnosed with ADHD retain the diagnosis later on -- until now," Cortese said in a university news release. "Our study shows for the first time that these youngsters are no more likely to lose the diagnosis over time than older children.”
More than 360 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the World Health Organization. About one-third are children and adolescents.
Symptoms include impulsiveness, disorganization, poor time management skills, difficulty focusing and restlessness.
This new study was led by researchers from University of Southampton and Paris Nanterre University, who collaborated with 161 scientists from around the world.
They used data from more than 6,500 patients who had ADHD, who were followed for a period between the ages of 4 and 33.
The findings were published Oct. 25 in the journal Lancet Psychiatry.
“Our work shows the diagnosis of ADHD in children with a young relative age is not especially unstable,” said first author Corentin Gosling, an associate professor from the Paris Nanterre University and a visiting researcher at Southampton.
“However, it could not assess whether it is an appropriate diagnosis or it is because once a child receives the ADHD label, parents and teachers consider the child as having ADHD and are influenced by the diagnosis," Gosling noted in the release. "Future studies should solve this question.”
Sources
- University of Southampton, news release, Oct. 26, 2023
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2023
Read this next
Weighted Blankets May Not Help Troubled Children Sleep
TUESDAY, May 28, 2024 -- Weighted blankets are trendy items, largely based on the idea that the pressure of a heavy blanket will help a person more easily slip into slumber. But...
1 in 9 U.S. Children Have Been Diagnosed With ADHD
THURSDAY, May 23, 2024 -- About 1 in 9 American children have ever received an ADHD diagnosis, slightly more than the number of kids currently being treated for the disorder, a...
For Pregnant Women, Fluoridated Drinking Water Might Raise Risks for Baby: Study
TUESDAY, May 21, 2024 -- Fetal exposure to fluoride from a mom-to-be's drinking water might raise the odds for physical and mental health issues in toddlers, new research...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.