Study shows that babies born before 36 weeks are more likely to develop ADD.
by ADDitude Editors
Children born prematurely are more likely to develop AD/HD, according to a recent study involving 30,000 Danish children. The study found that babies born at a gestational age of 34 to 36 weeks are 70 percent more likely to develop AD/HD than are full-term (37- to 42-week) babies, and that babies born before 34 weeks are three times more likely to develop AD/HD.
The study also linked low birth weight with AD/HD: Full-term newborns weighing between 3 pounds, 3 ounces and 5 pounds, 5 ounces were 90 percent more likely to be diagnosed with AD/HD later in life than full-term babies born at the "normal" birth weight of about 7 pounds, 8 ounces.The study was published in the June 2006 issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood.