Smoking, Drinking Lead to ADHD Risk

Women who smoke and drink during pregnancy may contribute to the risk of their children developing Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder according to research conducted at the Harvard Medical Schhol in Boston.

Researchers examined the medical records of two groups of children, one who had been diagnosed with the condition and one who had not, and interviewed the children's mothers about lifestyle habits during pregnancy.

Children whose mothers smoked were 2.1 times more likely to develop the condition whilst drinking increased the risk by a factor of 2.5.

A previous study reported this year suggests occurence of ADHD may be linked to our genetic make-up.

Meanwhile, a report by the New York Mayo Clinic suggests 7.5% of all children suffer from the condition.

Friday, 24 May 2002