ADHD in children linked to stress and depression during pregnancy

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDMay 8 2011

According to the latest research women who are depressed or severely stressed during their pregnancy have a greater chance of having children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It has been known till now that ADHD is largely inheritable but now it comes out that antenatal anxiety could contribute to 15 per cent of cases of the behavioural condition in children.

The British study that involved over 1,700 children from before birth until they were at primary school discovered a strong link between antenatal stress, “mixed-handedness” (using the left or right hand to perform different tasks) and severe childhood behavioural problems, with ADHD the most common.

According to researchers their findings suggested stress hormones in the womb disrupted the normal passage of neurons between the two hemispheres of the brain, resulting in the inability of one hand to become dominant, and a range of behavioural problems.

There has been research that shows that stress and low birth weight is linked to lower IQ but this is the first time a connection has been made between antenatal stress and ADHD. The research was presented at the annual meeting of the British Psychological Society by Alina Rodriguez from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.

ADHD is one of the most common behavioural disorders of childhood. Children with ADHD often appear reckless and impulsive and have trouble paying attention. It can be treated with counselling therapies and, in more extreme cases, with medication such as Ritalin. According to Dr Rodriguez the research showed clearly that mixed-handedness could be an early sign of ADHD symptoms. Her previous research has shown that mixed-handed children are twice as likely as right-handed children to have ADHD symptoms, but the connection with stress in pregnancy, which leads to twice as many mixed-handed children, is a new discovery. Dr Rodriguez said she hoped this new research would shift the debate towards prevention and lead to more work on supporting pregnant women.

But Rodriguez urged pregnant women not to be alarmed by the risk saying, “It is really important to put it into perspective and to go about your business and try to relax, get support from different people and do things that make you feel good.”