New findings from recent study revealed that kids who experienced “in utero exposure to ischemic-hypoxic conditions or IHCs run a high likelihood of developing ADHD in their adult years compared with children who are not exposed.
Earlier studies indicated findings pointing to genetic, prenatal, postnatal and environmental factors to be associated with distorted neuro-development. Unfortunately, there is not enough information to support the association of ADHD in children and ischemic-hypoxic conditions.
Darios Getahun, MD, PhD, of the Department of Research and Evaluation of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospital, and his co-workers extracted data from population database from kids between 5 and 11 years of age who were born between 1995 and 2010, in Kaiser Permanente hospitals. In the study, for every patient, the researchers collected information from the perinatal service system, outpatient doctor encounters, inpatient records from the hospital, pharmacy and laboratory records. The research was done to examine the link between ADHD and IHC. Findings derived from the study revealed that 4.3% (about 13,613) children, of the children in the study group had ADHD diagnosis.
Included in the study group were children diagnosed with ADHD and who received at least two ADHD-specific prescriptions during the follow-up period. Age and diagnosis were the matching criteria for five control children. Taken from perinatal service system records are additional information which included behavioral characteristics, maternal sociodemographoc, child race or ethnicity, perinatal complications, gender and age.
Children with ADHD were likely to be of black/white ethnicity and male. The same children are also prone to IHC exposure. The study findings suggest that IHCs are linked with ADHD in children’s early years even after considering for other possible danger like gestational age. Events in pregnancy are said to contribute to the origin of this condition over and above the well known familial or genetic influences.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121210080833.htm
