Head Injury in Young Kids May Predict ADHD Diagnosis

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Keenan thinks this finding may mean that some very young children are already showing behavioral traits that are the hallmarks of ADHD.

"Children with early injury should receive routine developmental and behavioral surveillance by their pediatrician, as well as injury prevention counseling," Keenan said. "Early injury may be an indicator of attention problems in some children."

Dr. Jon A. Shaw, director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami, agreed that early injury may signal a future diagnosis of ADHD.

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"The finding that head injury or burn injury occurring before 2 years of age are equal risk factors for a diagnosis of ADHD before 10 years of age is a surprising, but interesting, finding," Shaw said.

ADHD is a highly heritable disease. Approximately 85 percent of ADHD children have a family history of ADHD, Shaw said. "Children with ADHD are impulsive, hyperactive, distractible and inattentive, and are accident-prone, and thus more likely to put themselves at risk for injury," he said.

More information

For more information on ADHD, visit the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

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