Kathy wrestled with a keyboard and this emerged:

> As far as I am aware, there has been only one study published on ADHD that
> included infant feeding as a variable and they found that their ADHD cases
> had a lower frequency of "ever breastfed" than the controls and that among
> those who were breastfed, the cases had a lower average duration of
> breastfeeding than the controls.  Both of these differences were highly
> statistically significant.

Well, I just have to throw my 2 cents into the fray--wait, they were
here just a minute ago!  Where did I put them?

I've seen an up to 80% inheritance rate quoted for ADH Disorders, so
I think it's safe to say mode of feeding isn't causal, but I'm positive it
does have an impact on expression of the traits.  Think about it.
Optimum brain development can't hurt. ;-)  Also, ADD/HD kids tend
to do better when they have attentive parents (no pun intended) who
actually are connected with their kids.  Breastfeeding does tend to
foster that intimacy better.  When you have parents that are sensitive
to what's going on, whether there has been a dx or not, you have
fewer secondary behavior problems.

> It is clear that in the US, ADHD shows up in clusters geographically and
> is increasing in incidence, both suggesting that it is not "simply" a
> genetic condition, though clearly there are genetic predispositions.

A function of increased awareness perhaps?  We now have several
subtypes of ADH Disorders identified, and increasing recognition of
how it is expressed differently by girls (and women!).  We also now
have ADD diagnostic and treatment centers that are facilitating dx in
the areas these centers serve.

> and then there are children who literally bounce off the walls
> and can't concentrate long enough to read a complete sentence, or learn to
> do Tae Kwan Do, or anything that requires listening to someone else give
> directions.

OK, Kathy, now you're getting personal!  She climbs on the table,
not the wall, and she takes kajukenbo karate, not Tae Kwon Do!  But
she has to look at her neighbor in class to see the command she
just missed and she's the only one picking at the floor when the
Professor is talking!

> It may be that kids start out with genetic or early uterine
> environmental predispositions to ADHD, which are then made worse by not
> getting breast milk, or not for long enough.

A big factor in my continuing to nurse our 4 year old, who is showing
early symptoms of his daddy's Generalized Anxiety Disorder.  With
behavior modification now and continued nursing (hardly any milk left
now but the cuddles count) perhaps he won't have to be on meds for
life.  <sigh>If only I had known with my first two kids what I know
now.

Regards,
Beth Johnson, CBE, ICCE, doula
Springfield, MA

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