Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention-deficit disorder (ADD) is a type of neurobehavioral developmental disorder that affects five percent of children worldwide. ADD is a disorder that causes you to act impulsively and have difficulty paying attention. ADD is more common among boys---almost three times more prevalent than in girls. Medical professionals do not know the exact cause of ADD, but they have theories. Medical professionals have ruled out theories that ADD is caused by home environments. According to familydoctor.org, bad parenting, sugar, TV, video games and lack of nutrition do not cause ADD. The National Institutes of Health scientists have, however, shown that the amount of glucose in a person's brain is linked to ADD. Glucose is the main energy source of your brain, and the less the glucose you have, the more likely you will suffer from ADD.
Genetic Causes
The Attention Deficit Disorder Association has done studies that show that ADD may be genetic and passed on through family genes. A child who has ADD is very likely to have a close relative that also suffers from the disorder. ADDA studies have also shown that one-third of fathers who have had ADD pass it on to their children. A genetic study conducted by the National Institutes of Health showed that there could be an ADD gene that transmits the disorder in families who suffer from a genetic thyroid disorder.
Other Causes
The Attention Deficit Disorder Association has done studies linking a woman's actions during a pregnancy and ADD. They believe if a pregnant woman uses cigarettes, drugs or alcohol, it can raise her child's risk of developing ADD. This is because a child's brain begins to develop in the womb. While the baby is in the womb, the brain cells begin to grow, but drugs and alcohol hinder that growth. Alcohol and nicotine have shown to distort a baby's brain cells. Children who are born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) are at high risk of developing ADD. FAS, which is caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, causes physical defects, low birth rate, intellectual problems and low glucose levels in the brain.
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