Attention Deficit Disorder - Your Health is Our Business.

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is a frequent childhood behavioural disorder that is more common in boys than in girls. It can be difficult to diagnose and even harder to understand. Children who have ADD are unable to focus on tasks, tend to lose and forget things or are easily distracted. For example, children with ADD often cannot sit still or pay attention in school.

A sub-type of ADD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and is characterised by a child fidgeting and squirming, inability to wait, shouting out answers before the question has been finished and an inability to behave quietly.

All children show these signs to some degree, but children with ADD or ADHD show them in greater levels and frequency than normal, to the extent that they disturb anyone in their vicinity.

However, whilst this condition may be suspected, it should never be presumed to be the case. A qualified professional should be consulted to evaluate a child who you suspect may have this condition.

The American Psychiatric Association (1980) uses the following criteria for diagnosing ADD.

Inattention (will exhibit at least three of the following): --often fails to finish things he or she starts --often seems not to listen --is easily distracted --has difficulty concentrating on schoolwork or other tasks requiring sustained attention --has difficulty sticking to a play activity

Impulsivity (will exhibit at least three of the following): --often acts before thinking --shifts excessively from one activity to another --has difficulty organizing work (this not being due to cognitive impairment) --needs a lot of supervision --frequently calls out in class --has difficulty awaiting turn in games or group situations

Hyperactivity--ADD may be diagnosed as with or without hyperactivity (if hyperactive, will show at least two of the following): --runs about or climbs on things excessively --has difficulty sitting still or fidgets excessively --has difficulty staying seated --moves about excessively during sleep --is always "on the go" or acts as if "driven by a motor"

Onset before age 7.

Duration of at least 6 months.

Not due to schizophrenia, affective disorder, or a severe or profound mental retardation.

Recent research into this condition has found that nutritional supplements can help to a great degree but, as each case is individual, a definitive course of supplements is difficult to suggest. The following supplements, however, have been shown to have remarkable results in some cases.

Useful supplements:

Omega 3 has been found to be at lower levels in children with ADD/ADHD than other children. Further studies have shown that whilst children are taking Omega 3 supplements, their reading, spelling and behaviour are found to improve.

However, not all Omega 3 is the same, there are plant Omega 3s (ALA), found in flaxseed oil, and animal based Omega 3s (EPA & DHA), found in fish oils. Omega 3 EPA has shown promising possibilities as the Omega of choice.

In a trial carried out at the University of South Australia in Adelaide, which studied 132 children aged seven to 12 suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 50% of those given a mix of Omega-3 fish oil and Omega-6 primrose oil saw a significant reduction in their symptoms. The same results were not seen in the children who received a placebo.

Omega 6 fatty acids contain gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which also plays an important role in healthy brain function. Hyperactive children have been shown to be deficient in GLA. Valuable quantities of GLA are found in borage oil (starflower oil) and evening primrose oil, with borage being the richest source, containing 20-24% GLA.

Magnesium has been shown, in preliminary studies, to reduce hyperactivity in children. In one trial, 50 ADHD children with low magnesium were given 200 mg of magnesium a day for nearly six months. When compared with 25 other magnesium-deficient ADHD children, those that were given the magnesium supplement appeared to experience a decrease in hyperactive behaviour.

Multi-vitamins, whilst not directly associated with this disorder, can play a major role in helping with it. Magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin B3, vitamin E and Selenium are all known to be important in the body’s use of fatty acids. Recent research has also shown that zinc and vitamin C are both essential in the utilisation of these fatty acids. As a good child’s multi-vitamin will contain all of these nutrients, when taken with EFAs it will aid in their absorption.

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