Causes of ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition that affects the ability of children to concentrate, and causes forgetfulness and hyperactivity. When it comes to diagnosing ADHD, the process is quite difficult since it influences a major part of a child’s life. The disorder most commonly occurs in the childhood, but more recently has been reported to be diagnosed in a grown up as well.

ADHD is a common behavioral disorder that affects an estimated 8% to 10% of school-age children. Boys are about three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with it, though it's not yet understood why. Children with ADHD act without thinking, are hyperactive, and have trouble focusing. They may understand what's expected of them but have trouble following through because they can't sit still, pay attention, or attend to details. Of course, all children (especially younger ones) act this way at times, particularly when they're anxious or excited. But the difference with ADHD is that symptoms are present over a longer period of time and occur in different settings. They impair a child's ability to function socially, academically, and at home.

The real cause?
There is more than one cause for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children, most of which are found to originate from biological aspects. In few cases, parents are to be blamed for such a condition, but it is believed that the change in the structure of the brain might be one of the dominant reasons. Further, there are certain environmental agents that could possibly modify a child’s behavior. In this article, we present the factors that lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children as identified by the researchers:

1. Modified anatomy and brain routine
Children who are diagnosed to have ADHD have notable differences in the function of the brain as compared to their counterparts. The chemicals present in the brain, namely neurotransmitters, are responsible for such a behavior. These chemicals are essential for the interaction of the cells present in the brain. The neurotransmitter associated with this disorder, called as dopamine, tends to malfunction and thus results in unfavorable consequences that include impulsivity, lack of concentration and hyperactivity. Further, it has been scientifically proved that a child with ADHD disorder has significantly smaller volume of brain as compared to a normal child. Such children are found to be less sensitive in situations where they are either complimented or punished.

2. Genes
The ADHD disorder is also believed to be transferred from parents who are diagnosed of hypertension. Every fourth child that suffers from this disorder has a relative with ADHD. This disorder is also more commonly found in identical twins. There are also possibilities of a child to acquire ADHD if the parents tend to have psychiatric disturbance.

3. Maternal factors
Pregnant mothers who have a habit of smoking pose a threat of having a child with ADHD. Likewise, using alcohol or other drugs during the gestation period can effectively retard the activity of neurons that produce dopamine. One of the bleak factors is that a pregnant women getting exposed to a chemical poison like polychlorinated biphenyls. Such a chemical is widely used in a pesticide industry.
Consumption of drugs like cocaine has been proved to hinder the normal growth of the brain receptors.

Also, there are cases where the mothers are less affectionate and are very critical towards their own children. They also tend to severely punish the child for literally a tiny reason. Such a situation could possibly show symptoms of ADHD in the behavior of the child.

4. Exposure of a child to environmental poisons
Children, when exposed to environmental toxins such as lead and polychlorinated biphenyls, are feared of acquiring this disorder. Increased exposure to lead levels might even result in violent behavior of a child. Lead is even found in sand, dust and also in water pipes. Other possible environmental factors include pollution, food stuffs that have artificial colors and exposure to fluorescent light. Interestingly, even sugar has been proved to shoot up the hyperactive behavior in certain cases.

Other factors
There are few other risk factors that seem to cause ADHD those of which include:

• Watching television for a longer period that could possibly make the brain to want a constant stimulation.
  
• Deficiencies in the child’s daily diet that account for poor nutrition could result in its modified behavior.
  
• Children who are devoid of love and security realize that their needs are not met and develop symptoms similar to those of ADHD.