Israeli children given medication for ADHD due to misdiagnosis – study

From the Jerusalem Post comes this piece by Judy Siegel-Itzkovich on a new statistical analysis showing that children whose breathing is affected by a sleep disorder were seven times likelier to be prescribed ADHD drugs than children with normal breathing (also the focus of a story from Australia last year): 

“There is a high probability that many children who receive medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) actually suffer from breathing disorders during their sleep, according to researchers at the Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine at Tel Aviv University (TAU). 

Due to the incorrect diagnosis, the real problem is left untreated, and the unnecessary treatment may even make the situation worse, the researchers said. 

The study’s findings showed that children who suffer from breathing disorders during sleep received ADHD medication at a rate seven times higher than children who don’t suffer from sleep-disordered breathing. 

Dr. Shani Kaminsky-Kurtz, Dr. Sigalit Blumer, Prof. Ilana Eli, Dr. Alona Emodi-Perlman, and Dr. Yarden Shreiber-Fridman found a clear correlation between sleep-disordered breathing in children and the prescription of ADHD medication, alongside a variety of other problems, including tubes for ear infections and tonsillectomies in the past. . . . . According to their findings, children who suffer from breathing disorders during sleep receive ADHD medication at a much higher rate than children who don’t suffer from sleep-disordered breathing. As such, there is a high probability that many children suffering from sleep disorders are treated with medication for ADHD due to a misdiagnosis.”

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2 COMMENTS

  1. convergance insufficiency is another issue children have and it’s all the same symptoms as ADHD . My son is 7 years old he’s the sweetest little boy and has so much energy as he should . Hard time reading, impulsive, doesn’t listen can’t focus. Defiant. Then the schools involvement with my pediatrician and finding natural ways to help him . Turns out he needed glasses and a year later prism glasses and vision therapy for his eyes not teaming up and causing all these issues. 80% of children are on meds already when they diagnose convergance insufficiency . They never had ADHD so for children always haveing that wrong with them they don’t know something wrong with there vision . It’s normal for them .

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