Data Link Attention Disorders and Care Levels

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder receive more medical care than other youngsters for non-behavioral problems such as injuries, infections and asthma, Mayo Clinic researchers say.

However, it is unclear from the findings whether such youngsters really have more such medical problems or are simply diagnosed more often because they get closer attention from doctors.

The study looked at more than 4,000 children living near the Rochester, Minn., clinic. It was published in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Assn. More than 300 of the youngsters had ADHD.

ADHD is thought to afflict between 4% and 12% of school-age children, mostly boys. Symptoms can include short attention span, impulsive behavior and difficulty focusing and sitting still.

Some studies have suggested that youngsters with ADHD are more likely to suffer injuries from such things as playground accidents and car crashes linked to their impulsive behavior. Others have speculated that such children may be somehow weaker and more vulnerable to infections.

The Mayo study found that 77% of the ADHD children had been treated for minor injuries, compared with 70% of the non-ADHD youngsters. Treatment for major injuries was 59% and 49%.

Twenty-two percent of the ADHD children had asthma, compared with 13% of the others.

Infections also were more common--79% versus 73%.

The researchers offered no explanation for the findings.

They also acknowledged that the results may not apply to all ADHD children, since the region studied is mostly white, with a higher than average percentage of residents affiliated with the health-care industry.

Dr. James Perrin, an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, said ADHD children probably see doctors more often than other youngsters, and thus might be more likely to be diagnosed with another ailment.