Family Health: ADHD
The youngest children in a school year are 30% more likely to have depression ‘because they struggle to concentrate, grasp lessons or make friends with their older peers’.
This was the startling newspaper headline that caught my eye last month. Not least because four of my children were born in August!
It’s easy to work out that some children may be almost a whole year younger than others in their class when they begin their educational journey. It is entirely plausible that the summer babies may fi nd it harder to keep up with lessons or be more likely to be distracted.
The startling headline had its origins from a recently published study from University College London. Researchers used the general practice records of more than 1 million UK children aged 4-15, analysing cases where children had been diagnosed with ADHD, intellectual disability, or depression. They then looked for associations between these diagnoses and a child’s age in their school year.
Children’s Church Events
Breakfast Church Parish Hall at St John’s Church, Macaulay Road Sunday 1st December & 5th January, 9am.
Crafts, activities, songs and breakfast! Come and be part of the fun.
All Age Service St John’s Church
10am on Sunday 15th December & 19th January.
Half Term Messy Church Broadstone Methodist Church The Broadway
Thursday 2nd January, 10am-12.30pm
Crafts, puzzles, stories, songs. Lunch at 12. All children are welcome accompanied by a responsible adult. No charge, donations welcome.
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Sunday 15th Dec 10.30am
Celebrating the Christmas Story with drama, carols, dressing up (optional!) and fun for all the family.
Explore, leap, climb and party to the max at the area’s largest soft play and party centre.
They found a general pattern of increasing risk with progressively younger child age. For example, the rate of ADHD was 1.5 per 1,000 per school year for oldest children, born between September and November. This increased to 2 per 1,000 per year for youngest children, born between June to August. The media of course put on a spin to grab a headline.
ADHD includes symptoms such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Many children go through phases where they’re restless or inattentive. This is often completely normal and does not necessarily mean they have ADHD. But you should consider raising your concerns with your child’s teacher, their school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) or a GP if you think their behaviour may be different from most children their age.
Dr Mark Bridgman
Hadleigh Lodge Surgery
www.thehadleighpractice.nhs.uk
Broadstone United Reformed Church
Festival Nativity Service
Bro Uni Ref Chu
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