Predicting ADHD Risk From Birth

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New Medical Findings

Predicting ADHD Risk From Birth

Babies born with low scores on the Apgar test of newborn vitality are at higher

risk to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than infants with

near-perfect scores, according to a study in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Developed in 1952 and used around the world, Apgar is a 10-point scale that

measures respiration, reflexes, skin color, pulse and heart rate in the first

minutes of life. A study of 980,902 babies born in Denmark from 1988 to 2001

found that newborns with Apgar scores between one and four had a 75% higher risk

of developing ADHD than babies with scores of nine to 10. Risk of ADHD was 63%

higher with scores of five to six. The children were followed from age 3 through

2006, or until they were diagnosed with ADHD, whichever came first. ADHD cases

totaled 8,234 and 82% were boys.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects about 5% of children, who

are often born prematurely.

Several studies have linked low Apgar scores with neurological diseases such as

epilepsy, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. The latest study shows that

Apgar scores may also be useful in predicting ADHD, researchers said.

Caveat: Researchers were unable to make an independent diagnosis of ADHD because

identification of patients is prohibited under the Danish health system.

Although ADHD was diagnosed using international classification criteria, there

may have been some variation in the interpretation.