Anything that increases your chances of getting a condition or disease is called a risk factor.
The list of risk factors below is not an exhaustive list for all the possible risk factors for attention deficit disorder. Regardless, the more risk factors you possess, the greater the chances you (or your child) will acquire attention deficit disorder or ADD.
Some of the Risk factors of ADD are:
Parents’ health and/or lifestyle —A child can be significantly at risk of ADD or attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) if his parent has certain conditions. These can include conversion disorder or alcoholism.
Prenatal factors—If a pregnant woman drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes during her pregnancy, the chances of her child having ADD increases. A child who is born prematurely is also at high risk of developing this condition.
Age—Three to six year old children are typically at high risk of having ADD. ADD symptoms usually manifest at these ages.
Heredity— Attention deficit disorder and symptoms like it tend to be seen in families with a family history of ADD. Individuals with a sibling (particularly a twin) or parent having ADD are most likely to develop the same condition.
Gender—Between sexes, boys are more susceptible to ADD than girls.
Other factors that may increase the risk of ADHD include:
Playing video games or watching TV over a couple of hours a day during your youth
Being exposed to certain pesticides
Possessing Turner syndrome
Having a serious heart condition from birth
Experiencing a serious brain injury when you were young
Danielle DeVivo is a board certified and licensed acupuncturist in Saratoga Springs, NY.