Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD

1. Six or more of the following symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity persisting at least 6 months and inconsistent with the developmental level of the child:

Inattentive

· Often fails to give close attention to details, makes careless mistakes

· Often has trouble sustaining attention in tasks/activities

· Often does not seem to listen

· Often does not follow through on instructions

· Often has trouble organising tasks

· Often avoids/dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort

· Often loses important things

· Often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli

· Often forgetful in routine activities

Hyperactive-impulsive

· Often squirms and fidgets

· Often can’t stay seated

· Often runs/climbs excessively

· Often has difficulty remaining quiet during play or leisure activities

· Often blurts out answers before questions are finished

· Often “on the go,” acts as if “driven by a motor”

· Often talks excessively

· Often has difficulty awaiting turn in play/activity

· Often interrupts/intrudes on others

2. Onset of symptoms that cause impairment present before age 7.

3. Presence of symptoms in two or more settings (e.g. home, school, work).

4. Evidence for significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.

5. Symptoms that do not occur exclusively during a course of pervasive developmental disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorder and re not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g. mood, anxiety, dissociative, or personality disorder).

SUBTYPES OF THE DISORDER
Most children exhibit one or more of the subtypes:

• Combined Type: multiple symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity
• Predominantly Inattentive Type: multiple symptoms of inattention with few, if any, of hyperactivity-impulsivity
• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: multiple symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity with few, if any, of inattention

RISK FACTORS

• Heredity - at least one first-degree relative who also has ADHD and one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth have children with ADHD
• Gender - ADHD is more common in boys than in girls (3:1)
• Prenatal and early postnatal health - maternal drug, alcohol, and cigarette use; exposure of the foetus to toxins, including lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); nutritional deficiencies and imbalances, prenatal trauma
• Learning disabilities, communication disorders, and tic disorders such as Tourette's syndrome
• Possible Nutritional factors allergies or intolerances to food, food colouring, or additives, diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Tammy Flint RD (SA) from Anne Till & Associates, Registered Dieticians

Tel: 011 563 4663, Website: www.annetill.co.za

Niknaks, Ice cream and moods.

Thank you to Wendy Knowler for a very good article in the The Cape Times (Aug 11), on “Loads of problematic agents on South African supermarket shelves”).

Excerpt from the Cape Times:

Tartrazine free – on you label is not protecting you from the bad in a few others, still plentiful in South African snacks!

A couple of colorants, besides Tartrazine, may really upset your child. Your own moods may be a result of your diet! Adults are not exempt from the side effects of colorants, preservatives and flavourants. Check here!

A formal study was launched in South Hampton, England, on children aged three to nine years old. They proved that the following culprits, besides Tartrazine (E102), should not be taken, especially where there is a history of rashes, asthma, hyperactivity, concentration, behavior problems and attention span problems!

Quinoline yellow (E104) (Fizzers, Kellogg’s Coco pops, Baker’s iced Zoo biscuits, Oros, yellow cool drinks, sweets, Nestle Fresh Neapolitan flavored ice cream, Beacon’s liquorices All sorts)

Sunset yellow (E110) (Kellogg’s coco pops, some yellow cool drinks, Fanta, Oros, Tang orange, Jelly tots, sweets, Niknaks, Nestle Fresh Neapolitan flavored ice cream, Beacon’s liquorices All sorts )

Carmoisine (E122) (Pronutro strawberry, Kellogg’s straw berry pops, Baker’s iced zoo biscuits, Beacon sparkles, Fantail, Nestle Fresh Neapolitan flavored ice cream, Beacon’s liquorices All sorts)

Ponceau 4R (E124) (Nestle Fresh Neapolitan flavored ice cream, Beacon’s liquorices All sorts, Jelly tots)

Allura red (E129) (jelly tots)

(Consumer watch – published twice weekly email consumer@knowler.co.za)

Even sodium benzoates-a preservative in colddrinks - in a few people in the study gave negative results.