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An Associated Press article noted that children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy are 2 ½ times more likely to have ADHD than children who aren’t prenatally exposed to tobacco. In other words, about one-third of attention deficit cases among U.S. children may be linked with smoking during pregnancy or to lead exposure afterward.
The study concurs with a 2000 study that said about 3 percent of all developmental and neurological disorders in U.S. children are caused by toxic chemicals and other environmental factors. Another 25 percent are due to a combination of environmental factors and genetics.
Postnatal tobacco smoke exposure was not associated with ADHD.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder affecting between 4 and 12 percent of school-age children. Children with ADHD have impulsivity problems and difficulty concentrating.
So where does the lead exposure come in? According to Dr. Helen Binns, a researcher at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, young children with ADHD are more likely to eat old leaded paint chips or inhale leaded paint dust.
Children with blood lead levels of more than 2 micrograms per deciliter were four times more likely to have ADHD.
The complete study can be downloaded as a PDF from Environmental Health Perspectives. The 38-page report is titled, “Exposures to Environmental Toxins and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in U.S. Children”
Source: “Prenatal smoking is linked to ADHD,” By Lindsey Tanner, The Seattle Times
