How much do you understand about ADHD? There is a probable chance that someone from your immediate circle might be affected by attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. According to studies conducted in the recent past, ADHD is a fairly common condition amongst children in India. Several ADHD studies conducted in different parts of the country suggest the prevalence of ADHD between 2% to as high as 17% in children. In real numbers, studies estimate that more than 10 million Indian children are diagnosed with ADHD every year in India.
ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a cognitive condition or disorder that afflicts more than 2 to 7% of children, worldwide. ADHD is a disorder that can affect the day to day lives and functioning of the child suffering. Unlike the misconception common across the world, ADHD continues to trouble people in adulthood, if not treated accurately in their childhood. It doesn’t even fade or naturally goes away with childhood. As leading child neurologists in India suggest, children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder stand the risk of long-term negative outcomes including lower educational and employment accomplishments.
When it comes to the social impact of the cognitive disorder, a child suffering from ADHD can be prone to excessive anxiety to the people around him/her. They might even put strains on parents or sibling relationships. As children with ADHD grow up to become adults, they can continue to manifest uncontrollable emotions such as troubled control on anger, mood swings, depression causing problems in personal and professional life. Certain children with ADHD growing up without treatment can also display bad behaviour and get involved in addictions or substance abuse, experiencing chronic boredom and loneliness, etc.
Child Neurologist in India and Senior Consultant in Paediatric Neurology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute serves as a professional to break down the basics of the prevalent neurological condition in children for struggling parents.
Here are some of the key questions Dr Rakesh Jain helped answer for readers:
What is ADHD?
In the earlier days, ADHD was also referred to as attention deficit disorder (ADD) which was a milder version of ADHD in children. ADHD is ADD with hyperactivity. The condition can be typically characterized using behaviour that includes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
There are mainly Three Types of ADHD:
1. Primary inattentive
2. Primarily hyperactive-impulsive
3. Combined (inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive)
When and how should a parent seek an ADHD diagnosis for their child?
In case you identify by the time your child grows 6 years old, that they continue to display the symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness, it might be time to contact the best child neurologist in India. While there are not many treatments available for ADHD in children, the symptoms can be easily managed therapeutically with mild medications. It is crucial for parents to work with expert Healthcare providers including a paediatrician, child neurologist and therapist to help their child.
What are other symptoms that can be noticed with ADHD?
Children suffering from ADHD main also frequently meet the Diagnostic criteria for several other mental health issues that can be discussed with the child Neurologist. When discussing the diagnosis for your child’s condition, you can communicate with your health care provider about the additional diagnoses for development and learning disorders, autism, sleep disorders, anxiety, bipolarity, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What are the available treatments for ADHD in children?
Dr Rakesh Jain suggests that the most appropriate plan for diagnosis and treatment of ADHD of any or Child should be a 360-degree approach that includes medicines to manage the symptoms along with non-pharmacological that are focused on neurocognitive training. Along with the prescription medications, there are several other tools that can help is the symptoms of ADHD in your child and help them succeed in life.
In addition to helping kids with ADHD, Dr Rakesh Jain also has experience treating a wide array of other neurological and rheumatic disorders in children. These include epilepsy or seizure disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy in children, dyspraxia, speech problems and deafness in children, and more.