Youngest Kids in Class More Likely to Get Prescribed ADHD Meds
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Kids who are the youngest in their grade may be overmedicated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a Norwegian researcher who studied prescribing data.
Those who were also born preterm were at particular risk of being overmedicated, said Dr. Christine Strand Bachmann, a pediatrician at St. Olav's University Hospital in Trondheim and PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Torgarden.
The study included Norwegian children born between 1989 and 1998, about 488,000 in all.
"We found major differences in the prescription of ADHD medication," Bachmann said in an NTNU news release. "Children born in November-December had an 80% higher risk of being prescribed ADHD medication, compared to those born in January-February. This finding applies to children who were born at term."
She and her colleagues reviewed all prescriptions kids received from age 10 to 23, comparing those born in January or February with those born in November or December.
Bachmann said the increased ADHD medication for the youngest kids owes to the way school systems are organized.
Key Takeaways
Preterm babies and kids who are the youngest in their class at school are more likely to be prescribed meds for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
A Norwegian researcher says that's because the youngest kids are being compared to classmates who are a full year older.
Parents may want to postpone school entry for kids born in the fall to give them time to catch up developmentally.
Youngest Kids in Class More Likely to Get Prescribed ADHD Meds
Youngest Kids in Class More Likely to Get Prescribed ADHD Meds
Youngest Kids in Class More Likely to Get Prescribed ADHD Meds
Kids who are the youngest in their grade may be overmedicated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a Norwegian researcher who studied prescribing data.
Those who were also born preterm were at particular risk of being overmedicated, said Dr. Christine Strand Bachmann, a pediatrician at St. Olav's University Hospital in Trondheim and PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Torgarden.
The study included Norwegian children born between 1989 and 1998, about 488,000 in all.
"We found major differences in the prescription of ADHD medication," Bachmann said in an NTNU news release. "Children born in November-December had an 80% higher risk of being prescribed ADHD medication, compared to those born in January-February. This finding applies to children who were born at term."
She and her colleagues reviewed all prescriptions kids received from age 10 to 23, comparing those born in January or February with those born in November or December.
Bachmann said the increased ADHD medication for the youngest kids owes to the way school systems are organized.
Preterm babies and kids who are the youngest in their class at school are more likely to be prescribed meds for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
A Norwegian researcher says that's because the youngest kids are being compared to classmates who are a full year older.
Parents may want to postpone school entry for kids born in the fall to give them time to catch up developmentally.