Does My Baby or Toddler have ADHD?

Does My Baby or Toddler Have ADHD?

October is ADHD Awareness Month and Families takes up the baton to raise understanding about this debilitating condition.

Inattention, poor impulse control and hyperactivity are some of the key characteristics that define ADHD. These difficult behaviours may slowly become apparent. Many children with ADHD will have been particularly hard to put down to sleep as infants, so you may well find yourself pacing around the house with them in the middle of the night to no avail.

Nursing for long periods in the middle of the night can be particularly challenging with a baby with ADHD, who might sleep for a short while then wake up screaming and crying demanding full attention. Also, nightmares may wake them back up pretty quickly even if you do manage to get them to sleep.

Around one fifth of all babies in their first year will show signs of “regulatory issues” such as sleeping issues, difficulty feeding and persistent crying. However, by the time they reach preschool, most of these infants will have adjusted and their transient symptoms will disappear.

Research studies 1 show that infants who experienced regulatory issue problems were at the highest risk of developing behavioural problems, with temper tantrums and ADHD the most common behavioural problems to develop.

Tantrums

Problems with temperament are particularly common in infants with ADHD. From rocking in their cribs or baby chairs to thumping one or both of their feet, a baby with ADHD may engage in a variety of troubling behaviours. However, it is only when the problems continue after other babies have grown out of them that the issue becomes apparent.

It can also take a strict eye to figure out whether or not a baby is having difficulty remembering things. One issue can be food: does your infant tend to put food in their mouth but forget to chew or swallow? Do they start crying for attention in the middle of a game, seemingly forgetting that they were playing? These might be indicators of ADHD.

Can Toddlers be Diagnosed with ADHD?

NICE guidelines state that “ADHD should be considered in all age groups, with symptom criteria adjusted for age-appropriate changes in behaviour.” As soon as they reach 3 years, certain researchers have suggested that a child can reliably be diagnosed with ADHD through evaluations.

ADHD that’s visible in toddlerhood can be associated with a number of causes and risk factors, including:

• Genes

• Low birth-weight, especially caused by premature birth

• Central nervous system problems at critical moments during development

• Mother using drugs, alcohol, or smoking, or exposure to environmental toxins during pregnancy

ADHD also has a number of early indicators. Your child will not necessarily have ADHD if they have some of these signs and symptoms, but they may be worth taking into consideration:

• Slowed rate of head growth

• Delay in motor development, speech, and language

By Toby Buckley

Sources: 1 Archive of Disease in Childhood

Where Can I find Out More?

For more information about ADHD, check out this helpful guide from Need2Know books at http://need2knowbooks.co.uk/product/theessential-guide-to-adhd/

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