Younger schoolchildren more likely to be falsely diagnosed with ADHD

Posted by Neill Abayon

Children born during the summer are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children born later in the school year, according to a study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University and published in the Journal of Health Economics.

"What our research shows is that similar students have significantly different diagnosis rates depending on when their birthday falls in relation to the school year," said lead researcher Melinda Morrill.

The researchers found that children who had been born close to the cut-off date for admission to kindergarten (who would be among the youngest in their classes) were 25 percent more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than children born just a few days later (who would start school a year later as the oldest in their classes).

Read the full article here.

Guard Your Child Against Accidental Injuries

Written by Neill Abayon

Did you know that injuries are the most common cause of death during childhood and adolescence beyond the first few months of life? Most of these involve motor vehicles, drowning, fires and burns, choking, bicycles or poisoning. We have talked about ways to prevent many of these injuries in previous columns. Here are some of the highlights:

* Put your child in an age-appropriate car seat that is correctly installed in the back seat, for every ride, no matter how short. Older kids and adults must always wear their seat belts, too.
* Teach your child water safety and never let your child swim alone.
* Put smoke detectors on every floor of your home and change the batteries at least every six months.
* Set your water heater no higher than 120 degrees.
* Watch young children closely when they are eating and do not serve them foods that commonly cause choking, such as hot dogs, nuts, hard candies and whole grapes.
* Wear a helmet when riding a bike (and other protective gear for other sports).
* Keep medicines and poisons locked up and out of the reach of children.