|  | Family Health | Childrens Health

ADHD Treatment in Infants

ADHD is a condition in which the mind has difficulty maintaining focus and is often accompanied by hyperactivity. While ADHD is most commonly identified in older children, many times younger infants and toddlers can demonstrate ADHD behaviors. While the Mayo Clinic recommends that children under 6 years of age should not take pharmaceutical medications for ADHD, there are a few ways to treat ADHD in young children naturally.

  1. Reduce Media Exposure

    • Children are beginning to be exposed to media at a very young age, such as television, radio, video games and movies. According to a Seattle Childrens Hospital study, decreasing the frequency of media in the lives of children can significantly decrease ADHD behaviors. Infants and toddlers are now being propped up next to television sets to watch public TV programming and cartoons, which show loud, fast moving images. By limiting your child's exposure to media, ADHD behaviors and symptoms can be reduced.

    Eliminate Trigger Foods

    • Some foods and food additives can cause children to react symptomatically, exhibiting behaviors and actions that resemble ADHD behaviors, such as hyperactivity, distractability and the inability to focus. Removing these trigger foods, according to Dr. Ben F. Feingold in his study involving reactive foods, can improve behaviors in both children and adults. Some of the worse trigger foods and food additives are refined sugars, artificial sugars, food coloring, nitrites and nitrates, wheat products and dairy products.

    Add Omega Fatty Acids

    • Omega fatty acids can be found in certain oils, such as flaxseed or hempseed oils, and have been shown to improve motor and neural functioning, as well as improving how well the body's systems work. You can add these oils into a fruit smoothie or juice to give to a child too young to accept it by mouth. Check with your pediatrician about which oil would be best for your child.

    Sensory Destimulation

    • Some infants and toddlers with ADHD symptoms respond well to sensory destimulation, which involves techniques such as brushing and massage to relax the child. Brushing is done using an extremely soft occupational therapy brush, which is gently rubbed into the skin for a few minutes during the day. Massage is also helpful, but must be done using a gentle touch since most children with ADHD symptoms are extremely sensitive to touch.

    Music Therapy

    • Adding soothing classical music to your child's room can help calm down their system and can help reduce ADHD behaviors in both children and adults. Instead of playing pop or rock music in your home or car, play classical music by Mozart or Beethoven, which will relax your child's nerves.

Childrens Health - Related Articles