Infuse ADHD Children With Healthy Lifestyle Habits For Help: Study

By Dipannita - 01 Jun '16 08:47AM

Medications such as Ritalin and Adderall are often the only way of treatment for children suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

However, a new study suggests that parents and guardians close to the child suffering from ADHD can also help by promoting healthy lifestyle habits among them.

During the study, the research team looked at 184 children with ADHD and 104 without the disorder. All of the subjects were aged between 7 and 11. The team found that children with ADHD were less likely to stick to healthy behaviors. The behavior was compared to the standards set by the US Department of Agriculture, the National Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The guidelines set by the aforementioned organizations include one hour of physical activity, 9 to 11 hours of sound sleep, not more than one or two hours of total screen time in a day that might include television, video games or computers and at least 7 to 10 cups of water in a day.

The team found that adhering to these guidelines help or benefit children with ADHD. According to the researchers, parents who do not want to stick to medications for their ADHD child should consider infusing them with healthy lifestyle habits. This could be a beneficial intervention that can be used alongside or without traditional medications used for the treatment of children with ADHD.

Researchers further explain how changing a number of lifestyle habits can actually pave way for other healthy habits too. To incorporate the same in their daily routine, parents have been advised to talk to the paediatrician about how they can improve health behavior in their children.

For example, incorporating physical exercising in daily exercising can help improve thirst in children as both are connected up to some extent. Similarly, taking less caffeine help improve water consumption and promote sound sleep.

The complete details of the study have been published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.