Post by title1parent on Aug 18, 2010 5:44:23 GMT -5
www.suntimes.com/news/education/2611672,CST-NWS-adhd18.article
Youngest in class 60% more likely to be labeled ADHD
August 18, 2010
Nearly 1 million U.S. kids may have been diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder not because they have real behavioral problems, but because they're the youngest kids in their kindergarten class, two new reports say.
Kids who are the youngest in their grades are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest children, according to a study out Tuesday from Michigan State University.
A second study, by researchers at North Carolina State University and elsewhere, came to similar conclusions. Both are set for publication in the Journal of Health Economics.
About 4.5 million children have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the studies. Misdiagnosis can have long-lasting effects, says Todd Elder, a Michigan State economics professor. In fifth and eighth grade, the youngest kids in a class were more than twice as likely to use Ritalin, a stimulant commonly prescribed for ADHD, compared with the oldest students, his study says. While many parents say Ritalin has helped their kids, it also can have significant side-effects, causing headaches, dizziness and even high blood pressure.
Youngest in class 60% more likely to be labeled ADHD
August 18, 2010
Nearly 1 million U.S. kids may have been diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder not because they have real behavioral problems, but because they're the youngest kids in their kindergarten class, two new reports say.
Kids who are the youngest in their grades are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest children, according to a study out Tuesday from Michigan State University.
A second study, by researchers at North Carolina State University and elsewhere, came to similar conclusions. Both are set for publication in the Journal of Health Economics.
About 4.5 million children have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the studies. Misdiagnosis can have long-lasting effects, says Todd Elder, a Michigan State economics professor. In fifth and eighth grade, the youngest kids in a class were more than twice as likely to use Ritalin, a stimulant commonly prescribed for ADHD, compared with the oldest students, his study says. While many parents say Ritalin has helped their kids, it also can have significant side-effects, causing headaches, dizziness and even high blood pressure.