Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain. In Australia, 1 in 20 children have ADHD with a greater prevalence in males than females1.

There are three common symptoms in ADHD:

1. Inattention

2. Hyperactivity and

3. Impulsivity.

As ADHD predominantly affects children, it is crucial there is careful consideration prior to diagnosis as young children undiagnosed with ADHD are likely to show behaviours similar to the symptoms exhibited in ADHD patients2. Given the sensitivity in diagnosis, there are now three kinds of ADHD:

predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type
predominantly inattentive type and
combined type3.

As ADHD is a complex disorder, there are multiple causes of ADHD. These can include drug exposure during pregnancy, genetics, exposure to lead and lack of early attachment4. Treatment of ADHD commonly involves pharmacological approaches along with behavioural therapies such as cognitive therapy, social training or family counselling4. Professor Yoland Lim Health Care has known about the potential benefits of effective management of this and other conditions for many years and it is only more recently where promising scientific results show the effect of acupuncture on the management of ADHD in children alongside pharmacological and behavioural approaches5,6.

References

[1]The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne

[2] ADHD Australia

[3] Brain Foundation Australia

[4] Betterhealth.vic.gov.au

[5] DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-12-173

[6] DOI: 10.1007/s11655-011-0701-7

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1 in 70 Australians with males being 3 times more likely to be affected than females[1]. It is thought ASD is caused by neurological or genetic factors with two main areas of difficulty:

1) Social communication and

2) Abnormal behaviours and interests[2].

However, it is important to note that no two people affected by ASD are alike.

The treatment of ASD is dependent on the severity of the symptoms and characteristics. Because of this, each treatment is tailored towards the need of each child. For example, some children affected by ASD may require behavioural therapy or others may require speech therapy, prescription medication or occupational therapy[3].

Along with pharmacological approaches as well as behavioural strategies, application of acupuncture has shown improvement in children with ASD suggesting another promising approach in treatment of ASD[4].

References

[1]Austism Spectrum Australia (2017, November) Autism and ADHD. autismspectrum.org.au/uploads/documents/Fact%20Sheets/Factsheet_Autism-and-ADHD_20171113.pdf

[2] Better Health Channel (2019, November) Autism spectrum disorder (autism). betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd

[3] The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (2018, June) Autism spectrum disorder. rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Autism_spectrum_disorder/

[4] Ming et al (2011, October) Acupuncture for Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Evidence- Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Vol 2012. doi: 10.1155/2012/67984

Constipation (Paediatrics)

Constipation in children is a common occurrence particularly around the time of toilet training or starting solids[1]. Constipation occurs when there is difficulty in passing stool rather than the frequency[2]. This is because bowel movement varies between individuals. Therefore it is important to observe for consistent bowel motion patterns, hardness of stool and whether or not there is pain during the passing of stool.

Signs of constipation in children can include[3]:

stomach pain which comes and goes
decreased appetite
becoming irritable, upset or refusing to sit on the toilet
‘holding-on’ behaviour such as squatting and crossing legs

Common causes of constipation in children consist of not having enough fibre in the diet, holding back bowel movements, not eating enough solid foods and taking certain medications such as some cough medications[3].

To prevent and manage constipation in children it is important to ensure proper toileting behaviour and education at a young age. These can include:

encouraging children to sit on the toilet for five minutes after meals
encouraging and supporting the child for toilet sitting such as using a star chart and
ensuring feet are supported with their knees just above the hips when sitting on the toilet[4]

Furthermore, implementing a diet high in fibre and fruit (particularly prune or pear juice) and encouraging the intake of plenty of fluids may help with resolving problems with constipation[5]

In some cases where changing of the diet and modifying behaviour involving a toileting program are not effective, stool softeners and laxatives may be advised by your medical practitioner or paediatrician, to ensure for appropriate dose and number of doses per day is advised[6].

References

[1] The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (2018, February) Constipation rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Constipation/

[2] Better Health Victoria (2012, July) Constipation and children betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/constipation-and-children

[3] Health Direct (2019, December) Constipation in children healthdirect.gov.au/constipation-in-children

[4] Waterham et al (2017, December) Childhood constipation racgp.org.au/afp/2017/december/childhood-constipation/

[5] Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service (2019, August) Constipation in children childrens.health.qld.gov.au/fact-sheet-constipation/

[6] Consolini et al (2018, July) Constipation in Children msdmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/symptoms-in-infants-and-children/constipation-in-children