Birth Trauma and Delivery Complications Birth asphyxia is associated with a 26% greater risk of developing ADHD, while neonatal respiratory distress syndrome is associated with a 47% greater risk for ADHD, according to a 2012 study of more than 13,500 children with ADHD.
Both genetic and environmental factors are associated with numerous mental health disorders. Researchers have found that birth trauma might be linked to children developing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood.
Children who had in-utero exposure to ischemic-hypoxic conditions, situations during which the brain is deprived of oxygen, were significantly more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder later in life as compared to unexposed children, according to a new study.
What Is Birth Trauma? Birth trauma occurs when a baby's organs or tissues are damaged during a difficult delivery. A traumatic birth can lead to lasting medical problems in the infant, such as brachial plexus injuries, brain damage, and more.
having a difficult labour or experiencing labour complications. needing intervention during labour, such as an assisted delivery (using forceps or ventouse) or an emergency caesarean. you or your baby suffering birth injury. your baby needing medical attention after the birth.
Birth trauma is any physical or emotional distress you may experience during or after childbirth. During the birth, you may feel afraid, helpless or unsupported by those around you. After the birth, you may be left feeling guilty or numb due to events beyond your control. You could even suffer from panic attacks.
ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
Most experts agree that the tendency to develop ADHD is present from birth, yet ADHD behaviors are often not noticed until children enter elementary school.
The condition is usually diagnosed in childhood, when difficulties arise during play and school, and it is marked by lack of concentration, short attention span, and physical restlessness (APA 1994; APA 2000). ADHD often is blamed on bad parenting, or a “bad” attitude.
You can inherit genes that boost risk for ADHD from your mother, from your father or from both parents. In a recent Norwegian study, inherited risk was somewhat higher when a child's mother had ADHD compared to their father, but researchers weren't certain why that would be.
Traumatic Stress as a Risk Factor for ADHD
Traumatic stress, apart from other factors like premature birth, environmental toxins, and genetics, is associated with risk for ADHD. The connection is likely rooted in toxic stress – the result of prolonged activation of the body's stress management system.
Rather, the rise seems to be due to an increase in access to healthcare; a decrease in stigmatization about receiving mental health care; and greater awareness of the symptoms of ADHD among clinicians, guardians, educators, and patients. In the past, ADHD was only diagnosed in children who were hyperactive.
These may include hyperfocus, resilience, creativity, conversational skills, spontaneity, and abundant energy. Many people view these benefits as “superpowers” because those with ADHD can hone them to their advantage. People with ADHD have a unique perspective that others may find interesting and valuable.
(2012) applied the four causes in the following order: formal, efficient, material and final, distinguishing in turn, according to Aristotle, close or molecular (proximate) and ultimate or molar (distal) causation. The proximate formal cause of ADHD would be the formal DSM/ICD diagnosis itself.
ADHD symptoms start before age 12, and in some children, they're noticeable as early as 3 years of age. ADHD symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and they may continue into adulthood. ADHD occurs more often in males than in females, and behaviors can be different in boys and girls.
What's more, chronic prenatal stress increases the likelihood that a child will have ADHD or other conditions. One 2018 study found that mothers who experienced high levels of stress during their pregnancy were more than twice as likely as less-stressed mothers to have a child diagnosed with ADHD or conduct disorder.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
“Children diagnosed with ADHD are not likely to grow out of it. And while some children may recover fully from their disorder by age 21 or 27, the full disorder or at least significant symptoms and impairment persist in 50-86 percent of cases diagnosed in childhood.
The researchers found that those children exposed to complications during childbirth were 10% likelier to develop autism while those who were exposed before labor were 22% likelier to develop autism.
Facial nerve: Facial nerve is the most common cranial nerve-injured with a traumatic birth. It occurs in up to 10 per 1000 live births and is usually a result of pressure on the facial nerve by forceps or from a prominent maternal sacral promontory during descent.
Are infants too young to experience and remember painful emotions or traumatic events? A growing body of research suggests no, and researchers believe that if left untreated, trauma experienced in infancy can sometimes result in lifelong health consequences.
If your child seems hyperactive--fidgety, impulsive, and inattentive--don't automatically assume that they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Anxiety, depression, learning disorders, physical health, and many other conditions can cause symptoms that look like ADHD but aren't.
People with ADHD also tend to feel anger, anxiety, frustration, or disappointment more intensely than others. (The same can be true of positive emotions.) They can have trouble putting the brakes on their feelings.