Hi,

My 27-year-old son has ADHD. It has literally ruined his life and made it very difficult for his father who passed away in January at age 68. I am 63. I have this burning desire to really understand what the cause of this is. I hope I can find the answer before I pass from this world. My son was very ill at seven months of age and had diarrhea and was also vomiting. We took him to the hospital and he had to stay for a few days to be rehydrated. I just can’t help but wonder if there is a link between this dehydration and ADHD. Do you know of any ADHD kids who may have dehydrated as a young child?

Also, it seems like many people diagnose ADHD very differently. We have been to many experts and they have expressed different opinions about my son’s diagnosis. It seems that ADHD is the correct diagnosis but how do I know for sure?

Thank you for your help.

Answer:

Unfortunately many people would like to know exactly what causes ADHD. If a particular problem or event were related to ADHD, then you should see an increase in attention difficulties when that specific event occurred.

As you probably know, both ADHD and dehydration are common in childhood. Dehydration in infants is particularly prevalent in underdeveloped countries, yet I know of no evidence to support an increased incidence of ADHD in these areas. The incidence of dehydration in infancy in this country has decreased with new treatments for the viruses that commonly cause diarrhea and our improved knowledge about the use of oral dehydrating solutions. Yet, the incidence of ADHD has not decreased.

We do know that there is a familial incidence of ADHD and some people feel that there are certain brain abnormalities in such children. It is likely in the future that a combination of factors will be found to contribute to a child having Attention Deficit Disorder rather than one specific event during their pre and postnatal life.

You are right that there are a variety of ways that ADHD is diagnosed. The American Academy of Pediatrics has attempted to describe a standard method to make such a diagnosis. This involves parent and teacher questionnaires and some standardized testing of the child. Often a visit to the school to observe the child and compare him/her to their peers can help with the diagnosis. Though it seldom happens outside of a school setting, it is very helpful to have the child evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. This could involve a speech and language specialist, a psychologist and an educational specialist, in addition to the physician. Children with learning disabilities or those with difficulties understanding or producing language can often be inattentive because of their learning difficulties. If they cannot understand what is being asked of them or read written directions, they will be inattentive. We all, particularly as children, have difficulties attending to tasks that are hard for us.

Unfortunately, however, ADHD seems to be frequently diagnosed when the actual diagnosis is something else that makes the child appear inattentive. Here at our center we see many such children. It is important that your son make sure that he has been correctly diagnosed. A psychiatrist or psychologist in your area would be a good resource.