Managing ADD and ADHD in Children

About 10% of school age children are diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. Many are put on Ritalin, Adderall, or other drugs, without any consultation regarding lifestyle. These drugs carry a significant risk for illegal drug addiction in the future. Studies are now showing that proper diet and exercise is as effective as drug therapy for these conditions. Doctors are not trained in nutrition, and because of current laws about malpractice, most cannot risk even discussing anything but drug therapy with parents. Unfortunately, this means many children who have all the symptoms of ADD or ADHD are misdiagnosed as having a disorder that requires medication, sometimes for the remainder of their lives, when all that is really needed is a readjustment of their lifestyle.

Before deciding to put your child on drug therapy, consider making the following changes to their lifestyle. It's very likely you'll find that they no longer present the symptoms originally mistaken for ADD or ADHD. These lifestyle changes will often be tough. Children do not change easily, and it may take all your parenting skills to institute a healthier lifestyle. Be consistent, and the changes will happen more and more readily.

Cut out sugars and starches.

Sugars and starches spike insulin levels, and cause steep rises and dips in blood sugar. Both of these can affect concentration, energy levels, and behavior. Children eating diets high in simple carbohydrates have more behavioral and learning problems than those on lower carbohydrate diets.

Eating simple carbohydrates also can affect sleep, again due to the way our bodies metabolize them. They can also impair sleep by contributing to Restless Leg Syndrome. As we'll discus later, new studies show that poor sleep often mimicks the symptoms of ADD/ADHD in children. A child with a diet higher in protein and complex carbohydrates sleeps better, helping to alleviate these symptoms.

Cut out caffeine.

Caffeine can impair sleep, make concentration difficult, cause aggression and moodiness, and cause "jittery" behavior. While caffeine has been used as a therapy for ADD/ADHD in the past, new studies are showing that it poses a risk for children without these issues. Like other stimulants, caffeine can simulate ADD/ADHD, increasing aggression and simple reaction times in children without the disorders. Because so many children are misdiagnosed as having ADD/ADHD, when the problem is actually diet or sleep, it is best to avoid caffeine until all other options have been exhausted.

Try the Feingold Diet. This diet eliminates many of the additives from today's foods, as well as many known food allergens. It's been shown that over 90% of children respond to this diet with a decrease or total cessation of ADD/ADHD symptoms, without drugs. It is a difficult diet, and children will not like it. When you consider the dangers of prescription drugs, with their side effects and increased risk of drug addiction, it is worth taking the time and patience to institute this diet.

Once you've established the diet for several months, you can slowly add foods back in. It will be very obvious which foods are a problem for your child, and what others are safe for them to eat with no return of ADD/ADHD symptoms.

Supplement Fatty Acids & a multivitamin.

Children with symptoms of ADD/ADHD show significant dificiency in fatty acids. Fatty acids are what makes fish "brain food," because they are needed to produce other chemicals your brain uses to perform. Fish is the best source of good fatty acids, but you can also supplement with fish oil capsules. A general multivitamin is also a good idea, to make sure that the body has enough of the other vitamins and minerals it needs to help support brain function.

Turn Off TV

Research shows that children who watch a lot of television, especially young children and infants, are far more likely to show symptoms of ADD/ADHD. The younger the child, the greater the correlation between televisio and ADD.

Encourage Exercise

Exercise can help treat symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Exercise "turns on" the frontal cortex, a key in managing ADD/ADHD. The chemicals released during exercise, dopemine and norepinephrine, act much like the drugs used to treat symptoms of these disorders. Physical activity also promotes better sleep, another key to managing ADD/ADHD symptoms.

Remove Sleep Impediments

As mentioned earlier, ADHD can be a misdiagnoses for poor sleep. The symptoms mimic each other, and many diagnosed ADD/ADHD sufferers have complete cessation of symptoms when they get good sleep.

It's important to remember that just because a child is in bed and asleep, they may not be having restful sleep. Snoring, for example, is a sleep disturbance that shows a twofold increase in ADD/ADHD symptoms. RLS also causes poor sleep, and new studies show a significant correlation between RLS and ADD/ADHD. Make sure the child is in a restful room, with low noise, and has plenty of time to sleep.

Make Sure The Problem Is Not Misdiagnosed

Many things mimic the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Drug therapy may mask these issues, but they will never be properly treated. Make sure your child does not have RLS, food allergies, sleep apnea, diabetes, thyroid problems, or other illnesses before considering drug therapy.

Some children will need drug therapy to manage their ADD/ADHD, but this number is much smaller than the prescriptions of Ritalin would have us believe. Diet and lifestyle changes can be more difficult than drug therapy, but are proving just as effective. Long term consequences of many drug therapies are not known, or are known to be negative. Long term consequences for lifestyle changes are positive and sustainable. Before trying drug therapy, weigh the possibilities with help from your qualified healthcare provider, and choose the best treatment for your child.

Resources:

Attention Deficit Disorder Can Respond to Diet Change. Homeschoolmath.net

Feingold Diet Program for ADHD. Fiengold Association of the United States.

ADHD and Exercise. By Keath Low, April 5, 2008. About.com Updated:

Kids and Restless Leg Syndrom. By Vincent Iannelli, M.D., Updated: August 20, 2006. About.com

A Sip Into Dangerous Territory. By Eileen O'Connor. Volume 32, No. 5, June 2001. American Psyhcological Association: Monitor on Psychology.