Integrative alternatives for ADHD

Between three and ten percent of school-age children every year are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Families are turning to natural or alternative therapies to improve their children’s condition. According to a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, many of those families are using the services of an integrative pediatrician to acquire those therapies.

“Many parents are reluctant to put their children on medication for ADHD, and instead want o first try healthy lifestyle options to help promote optimal focus and attention,” explained Kathi Kemper, MD professor of public health sciences and pediatrics at Wake Forest Baptist.

For the study, they looked at 75 intake forms from an integrative medical clinic. About 31% of the families had issues with ADHD and only 13% of those families were using medications to treat the condition. The intake forms indicated that the ADHD children were suffering from several chronic health conditions and were receiving treatment from many specialists as well as a primary care physician. They took a variety of supplements and medications, but avoided the use of traditional ADHD prescriptions. “Although it was a small study from one practice, we believe that it reflects an emerging trend among pediatricians and primary care providers,” Kemper, the lead author of the study, said.

Families were interested in diet, exercise, stress management and sleep. The response from the pediatrician was to recommend health promotion information, dietary supplements, such as multivitamins/minerals and omega-3 fatty acids and referrals to specialists. “For example, if your child has trouble concentrating in his mid-morning math class, be sure he eats a really good breakfast, or try having him go to bed an hour earlier to see if that helps,” Kemper said. “If your child can’t sit still to do homework when he gets home from school, have him go outside to shoot some hoops and then try doing homework. I recommend using low-risk, healthy lifestyle approaches first before resorting to medication.”

Source: ScienceDaily, Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies