Lead and Tobacco Exposure Raises Risk of ADHD in Kids

Boston (DbTechNo) - Results of a new study suggest that women who smoke during their pregnancy are putting their unborn child at an increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Furthermore, children exposed to lead, are also at an increased risk of developing the neurological condition.

Researchers from the US performed this study, analyzing health records of children as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2001 and 2004.

The researchers took various variables into account, including age of children, reported tobacco use during pregnancy, living environment, etc.

They deducted that those children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, and those living in environments where exposure to lead was common, were at the most risk of developing ADHD.

Those children hit with the double wammy; mom smoking and living in an environment where lead exposure was common were 8 times more likely to be diagnosed with the condition.

The study is published in the December issue of Pediatrics.