Second-hand Smoke Tied to ADHD

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health's Center for Global Tobacco Control in Boston has found that children exposed to second-hand smoke in the home are at higher risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

"They're in a developmental stage and their body is growing," potentially putting them at greater risk of disruptions to their brains than adults, said study co-author Hillel R. Alpert, a research scientist at the Center.

While the study, published online July 11 in the journal Pediatrics, does not definitively prove that tobacco smoke can harm children's brains, or indicate how much smoke is too much, it does add to the evidence that children may be especially vulnerable to the effects of smoke exposure, according to the School of Public Health center.

People with ADHD often act and think a little differently, according to information provided by the Loma Linda University Medical Center.

“They may have trouble in school because they get distracted easily,” Loma Linda officials said in the release. “They may feel bored all the time for no simple reason, lose things, say or do whatever is on their mind at the time without thinking, and interrupt when other people are talking.”

“Just about everyone has trouble concentrating or paying attention in class from time to time,” Loma Linda officials said. “But for teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, symptoms like being unable to pay attention and follow instructions can cause problems at school and in many other areas of their lives.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 5.4 million children ages 4-17 had diagnosed with ADHD, as of 2007. The percentage of children with a parent-reported ADHD diagnosis increased by 22 percent between 2003 and 2007. Boys were more likely than girls to be diagnosed.

Click here to read the entire article on the study.