This is a condition that is normally first diagnosed as a young child, but it can also be overlooked until adulthood. There are times when it can be mistaken that a child has attention deficit disorder when they go through moments of being hyper and cooperative, but this is normal. It is normal for children to have a lot of energy and they tend to get excited over things, especially if they have had a lot of sugar. For children who actually do have attention deficit disorder, they are more or less consistently hyper, uncooperative, impulsive and have trouble focusing.

Recently, I had a family member consult me regarding the prescription of medication for her son who has been diagnosed with a "mild form of ADD". The physcian recommended that he be given a low dose of medication to treat his symptoms. Immediately her mother's intuition sparked and she felt that this may not be the best course of action, however, she didn't know what her options were.

TUESDAY, July 15 (HealthDay News) -- New evidence suggests that a cholesterol-lowering drug widely prescribed for adults may not help children with a fairly common genetic disorder.

Zocor (simvastatin) did not improve cognitive function in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a disorder which can involve learning disabilities.

The findings were published in the July 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at a 50 percent higher risk for being overweight if they are not taking medication for the condition, a new study finds.

On the other hand, youngsters who were medicated for ADHD had a raised risk of being underweight, the same researchers found.

MONDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at a 50 percent higher risk for being overweight if they are not taking medication for the condition, a new study finds.

On the other hand, youngsters who were medicated for ADHD had a raised risk of being underweight, the same researchers found.

By Jeffrey Perkel
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- Canadian researchers report that a gene variant that seems to affect the severity of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder did not help them predict which patients are likely to respond to a class of drugs widely used to treat the disorder.

The lack of a connection between the variant and response to methylphenidates was a blow for researchers, who have hoped to use genetic data to better predict who might be the best candidates for this treatment. Ritalin is one example of a methylphenidate.

I have a 6 year old nephew that is INCREDIBLY hyperactive, to the point where he can not pay attention, or listen to instructions given by his parents or other family members.

How do you know when a child has ADD or ADHD, vs. just being "hyperactive" and a normal kid. He has more energy then other children his same age (and MUCH more energy then his family members!)