May 23, 2011
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By Amanda Gardner
MONDAY, May 23, 2011 (Health.com) — The proportion of children and teens in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with a developmental disability such as autism has increased 17% since the late 1990s, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Between 1997 and 2008, the number of children diagnosed with a disability rose from 8.2 million to roughly 10 million, or more than 15% of all kids between the ages of 3 and 17, the researchers found.
This upward trend has been driven largely by surges in the number of children diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although the prevalence of stuttering and learning disabilities has also increased. Read More
November 10, 2010
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By Ray Hainer
WEDNESDAY, November 10 (Health.com) — Nearly 1 in 10 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and the rate appears to be growing, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The percentage of children ages 4 to 17 who have ever been diagnosed with ADHD rose from 7.8% to 9.5% between 2003 and 2007—a 22% increase, the CDC found. The report was based on the results of the National Survey of Children’s Health, a nationwide telephone survey of parents. Read More
October 7, 2010
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By Amanda Gardner
MONDAY, October 4 (Health.com) — Young children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are roughly four times more likely than their peers to become depressed or attempt suicide in later childhood, a new study suggests.
Researchers followed 125 children with ADHD for up to 14 years beginning at ages 4 to 6, and compared them with a similar group of children without ADHD. Thirty-nine percent of the children with ADHD were diagnosed with depression during the study period, versus 8% in the control group. Read More
July 5, 2010
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By Sarah Klein
MONDAY, July 5, 2010 (Health.com) — Parents who believe that playing video games is less harmful to their kids’ attention spans than watching TV may want to reconsider—and unplug the Xbox. Video games can sap a child’s attention just as much as the tube, a new study suggests. Read More
