According to a recently conducted survey, 3-7% children of this world are suffering from ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Medication is one of the most commonly used treatment options for ADHD; however, if not taken under the guidance of a physician these medications might lead to dangerous consequences. The dangers commonly associated with ADHD medications include the following: The stimulants like dextroamphetamine, dextroamphetamine-amphetamine and methylphenidate, which are commonly prescribed for the treatment of ADHD, can cause heart disorders if used for longer durations. There are instances where adolescents or children receiving dosages of stimulants as a treatment of ADHD have died due to heart problems. A doctor should also not prescribe stimulants for children with preexisting heart disorders. A child with family history of heart problems should also never be treated with these medications.

Reactive attachment disorder starts before the child reaches the age of 5 years. The symptoms of this disorder however might start showing up when your child is an infant. Some of the symptoms of reactive attachment disorder found in the babies are: Lack of smiles and staying in a sad mood is common in these babies. Such babies cannot reach out when they are picked up. Babies with reactive attachment disorder lack normal tendencies like following others around him with eyes. These infants are unlikely to get interested in interactive games like peekaboo. They also don’t like to play with toys. An infant with reactive attachment disorder is often found to be involved in some self-soothing behaviors like self stroking and rocking.

You often might have seen children, or even adults, with a flatter face different from the normal, and with slightly slanted eyes, and in general, a person who gives the impression of being different as compared to an averagely normal person. This kind of a person, probably could be suffering through the Down syndrome. This is a disorder, named after the physician who initially discovered it – Dr. John Langdon Down. To understand Down syndrome completely, it is necessary to first understand the functioning of the chromosome structure. The human body cells are consistent of containing chromosomes which are the storage houses and transmitters of all the genetic information about that particular body. All body cells (except those of the sperms and ova in males and females resp.) consist of 23 pairs of, i.e. a total of 46, chromosomes. Out of these, 23 are inherited from mother and 23 from father. Down  [...]

Mosaic down syndrome manifests during birth. Individuals suffering from Mosaic down syndrome have two cell groupings that are distinct. Some cells contain 46 chromosomes, which belong to the ‘typical’ group. Individuals with Mosaic down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 in certain cells. This increases the chromosomal count to 47. In normal circumstances, when a sperm and an egg unite, it leads to formation of a single cell containing 46 chromosomes. Such chromosomes are then copied. There occurs separation of the copies. The cell undergoes division by creating identical cells known as daughter cells. Chromosomes present in these cells are further copied. Further division takes place, leading to creation of four cells. Multiplication of cells continues in this manner. If there is no disruption to the chromosome separation and replication process, each body cell should contain the identical number of chromosomes which were present in the egg that was  [...]

Autistic disorder is more commonly known as autism. Mindblindness is a recent term associated with autistic disorder. Autism is a developmental and neurological disorder. It manifests itself during life’s first three years. Children having autistic disorder tend to be secluded in their own world. They seldom show any interest in other individuals. They also lack social awareness. An autistic child’s focus centers on fixed routines. Children with autistic disorder tend to engage in repetitive behavior. Each behavior is unique and peculiar. Children with autistic disorder have poor communication skills. They avoid making eye contact. In addition they display restricted attachment to other individuals. Nearly 500,000 individuals in the United States have been diagnosed with autistic disorder. Autistic disorder can lead to poor relationships. This may be due to a lack of ability to understand emotions and expressions on the face. Children with  [...]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is commonly known as ADHD. It is one of the most common disorders occurring in childhood. It can continue right up to adolescence and through adulthood. Symptoms of the disorder include trouble remaining focused or paying attention. The disorder also involves hyperactivity and problems related to behavior control. The relationship between ADHD and children is unique. There are three subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: 1. Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive Most symptoms belong to the hyperactivity-impulsivity category This category consists of less than six symptoms of inattention. However, inattention may be present to a certain extent. 2. Predominantly inattentive This category of inattention includes six or more symptoms. Less than  [...]

Expressive Language Disorder: This is a condition wherein the person will have difficulties with communicating or expressing themselves using language; and this would include both speech and writing. This condition is generally a childhood disorder. In terms of speech-language therapy terms, this condition can be described as the person having better receptive language i.e. understanding of language in comparison to their expressive language i.e. the actual use of language. There are two types of expressive language disorder – developmental type; and acquired type. Developmental expressive language disorder will not have a known plausible cause. It will generally appear at the time frame when the child is beginning to learn how to talk; and some experts claim this is inherited. Acquired expressive language disorder, on the other hand, is said to be caused by severe damage to the brain. It will occur suddenly when there has been an event like a stroke or an injury to the  [...]

ODD or oppositional defiant disorder is said to be a psychiatric disorder which will affect the person’s (or generally child’s) behavior. The basic three characteristics that you’d find in a child with ODD would be – defiance, aggression and the constant urge to irritate others. This kind of behavior will tend to have a negative impact of sorts on the social and academic capabilities of the child. Characteristics of the child: The child will oft lose his/her temper The child will be defiant and will not obey rules or any sort of routines It is of utmost importance that you understand one thing – most children will exhibit some of the characteristics (or even all of the characteristics) that have been mentioned above and this would be confusing when it comes to accurately determining a case of ODD. The frequency at which these symptoms show up  [...]

The film ‘Adam’ that was released in 2009 is being touted as one of the best movies in recent times to have sensitively portrayed the theme of a protagonist with Asperger’s Syndrome. What is Asperger’s Syndrome? Asperger syndrome is said to be a disorder that is characterized by a person’s inability to interact in a correct manner with other, on a social level. People suffering from this disorder might actually not be able to communicate effectively with others and thus, will develop patterns of behavior that are restricted and repetitive; and this is said to affect even their interests and activities. As a result, they might have a lot of difficulty when it comes to coping with any kind of social interaction or with working in jobs wherein you need high levels of communication skills. Their movement co-ordination may be a little skewed and this would mean that they would come across as being clumsy. Asperger’s and Autism: In most cases of  [...]

For long, you’ve been told that allowing babies and young kids to watch TV was a bad habit, here’s conclusive proof on exactly why that is the case. A study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that being exposed to the idiot box may be a pre-cursor to having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, or ADD) later on in life.  A young human’s mind has often been likened to a sponge and watching TV at such an impressionable age “rewires” the brain of the infant. The damage really starts to show up by age 7 when these children demonstrate difficulty in paying attention during classes at school. Children are used to life unfolding at a leisurely pace in real life (which is why a lot of us wish to go back to childhood!) and the manner in which these children are exposed to television means that their lives are put in fast-forward unlike  [...]