ADHD runs in families. Anywhere from one-third to one-half of parents with ADHD will have a child with the disorder. There are genetic characteristics that seem to be passed down. If a parent has ADHD, a child has more than a 50% chance of having it.
Better safe than sorry, according to medical thinking. If you take medications to help manage your ADHD symptoms and you decide you want to start a family, talk with your doctor about preparing for pregnancy and her recommendations for you.
Research has shown that ADHD is more heritable than most other mental conditions, only slightly less so than height, leading to all sorts of lively family dynamics. The task of parenting a child with ADHD is difficult for moms who have the same condition, says Andrea Chronis-Tuscano, Ph.
Undiagnosed or untreated adult ADHD can make the stress of parenting a child with the condition even more difficult. Lack of consistency, difficulty coping with frustration, and other symptoms that interfere with daily functioning can make it hard for both parents and children to cope.
ADHD causes kids to be more inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive than is normal for their age. ADHD makes it harder for kids to develop the skills that control attention, behavior, emotions, and activity. As a result, they often act in ways that are hard for parents manage.
Dramatic drops in estrogen increase ADHD symptoms. However, in the first trimester, there is a dramatic increase in estrogen and then levels out to a steady increase in the second and third trimester, which can lessen your ADHD symptoms. Some women even report almost no symptoms of ADHD while pregnant.
As a general rule, children with ADHD do better when they get plenty of individual attention from coaches. That's why they're more likely to succeed with individual sports such as swimming and diving, wrestling, martial arts, and tennis — or even more rarified endeavors such as fencing and horseback riding.
Having ADHD doesn't make you a bad mother! On the contrary, having ADHD gives you the ability to empathize with your children, come up with creative solutions for problems, and create a loving, nurturing and exciting home for you and your family. Learn to appreciate the gifts and minimize the weaknesses of ADHD.
By having ADHD, moms experience the telltale ADHD and executive function symptoms that show up as difficulties regulating attention, emotion, energy, and effort. Because we are women, we also experience gendered pressure/judgment about our functioning (Solden & Frank, 2019).
Symptoms of ADHD that can cause relationship problems
If you have ADHD, you may zone out during conversations, which can make your partner feel ignored and devalued. You may also miss important details or mindlessly agree to something you don't remember later, which can be frustrating to your loved one.
With appropriate intervention, children with ADHD can lead normal lives.
Some of the most prestigious scientific-based organizations in the world conclude that ADHD is a real disorder with potentially devastating consequences when not properly identified, diagnosed and treated. Research has demonstrated that ADHD has a very strong neurobiological basis.
ADHD more common in offspring of mothers with genetic serotonin deficiencies. Summary: Children whose mothers are genetically predisposed to have impaired production of serotonin appear more likely to develop attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder later in life, according to a new report.
While the exact causes of ADHD have not been identified, genetic studies show there is a strong hereditary component, with an up to a 91 percent likelihood of passing the disorder to your children.
Most new parents suffer from symptoms that could fall under the general guidelines for a diagnosis of ADHD: lack of focus on directions, forgetfulness, disorganization, losing important items and a general sense of foggy thinking. Simply adding a fully dependent human being to your busy schedule can do some of that.
Partners diagnosed with ADHD share many of the same frustrations as their non-ADHD counterparts. They feel misunderstood and unloved. They get angry when their partners criticize them a lot. They worry when their relationship breaks down because of their disorganization and distractibility.
For many people affected by ADHD, key symptoms like inattention, forgetfulness, and disorganization negatively affect their relationships. The partners without ADHD can misinterpret their partners' intentions, resulting in increased frustration and resentment.
Women with ADHD face the same feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted as men with ADHD commonly feel. Psychological distress, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and chronic stress are common. Often, women with ADHD feel that their lives are out of control or in chaos, and daily tasks may seem impossibly huge.
ADHD AND GIFTEDNESS are sometimes described as having the same or similar characteristics. However, one diagnosis is considered a disability and one, a gift. Neither assumption is ideal in supporting the child identified with either ADHD, giftedness, or both, often referred to as twice exceptional or 2e.
Infertility itself may be associated with ADHD in the offspring, which is not amplified by the use of fertility treatment. Infertility, and use of fertility treatment, is common. The long-term neurodevelopmental outcome of a child born to a mother with infertility, including the risk of ADHD, remains unclear.
Research on ADHD treatment during pregnancy
“Some studies have found a very small increased risk for miscarriage, preeclampsia, and preterm birth,” explains Beth Kiernan, MPH, a teratogen information specialist.