ADHD in Babies: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat to Know About ADHD in BabiesSigns and SymptomsCauses and Risk FactorsDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What to Know About ADHD in Babies

Signs and Symptoms

Causes and Risk Factors

Diagnosis

Treatment

Your concerns are valid, but it’s important to remember that ADHD cannot be formally diagnosed until your child is 4 years old.

There is a small amount of research that suggests babies may also show signs of ADHD, but the disorder cannot be treated until the child is older.

Here’s what to know about ADHD in babies, including signs and symptoms, causes, and how and when ADHD is diagnosed and treated.

9 Fun Activities for Kids With ADHD

ADHD Is Harder to Diagnose in Younger ChildrenAccording to the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP), it’s challenging to diagnose children with ADHD when they are under the age of four because there are so many developmental changes that happen to children in their early years of life.

ADHD Is Harder to Diagnose in Younger Children

According to the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP), it’s challenging to diagnose children with ADHD when they are under the age of four because there are so many developmental changes that happen to children in their early years of life.

However, a 2019 research paper published inEuropean Child & Adolescent Psychiatryfound that signs of ADHD can be seen as early as infancy.Signs of ADHD can also be seen during the toddler years, according to theJournal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.

ADHD in Children: Symptoms and Treatment

However, there is limited research showing that certain characteristics in babies may indicate an ADHD diagnosis in the future. For example:

How to Focus With ADHD

ADHD doesn’t just have one cause. Usually it’s a multitude of factors at once that cause a child to have ADHD. According to the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP), some of these causes may include:

Genetics

ADHD often runs in families, so genetics may be at play. For example, if your child has ADHD, there’s a 25% chance that one of their parents does as well. If one sibling has it, it’s likely that another sibling has it too.

Brain Function

Different areas of the brain control our ability to pay attention and focus. People with ADHD may exhibit lower levels of function in these areas of the brain.

Head Injuries

If your child had a significant head injury, this may contribute to their ADHD diagnosis.

Prenatal Environment and Prematurity

What happens during pregnancy and childbirth can increase your child’s risk for ADHD.Birthing parents who drink alcoholor smoke are more likely to have a child with ADHD. Babies born prematurely have an increased risk of developing the condition.

Lead and Other Toxins

In rare cases, your child’s exposure to toxins in their environment—most notablylead exposure—can increase their risk of having ADHD. According to the AAP, food allergies, food dyes, and sugar do not increase the risk of ADHD.

What Are the Causes of ADHD?

Most Kids Are Diagnosed in Elementary School

Checklist for ADHD Symptoms in Kids

Once a child has been diagnosed, common treatments for ADHD in children include:

Why Children With ADHD Need Structure and Routines

A Word From Verywell

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Athanasiadou A, Buitelaar J, Brovedani P, et al.Early motor signs of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2020;29:903–916. doi:10.1007/s00787-019-01298-5Johns Hopkins Medicine.Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children.American Academy of Pediatrics.Diagnosing ADHD in Children: Guidelines & Information for Parents.Brown H, Harvey E.Psychometric Properties of ADHD Symptoms in Toddlers. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 2019;48(3):423-439. doi:10.1080/15374416.2018.1485105Gurevitz M, Geva R, Varon M, Leitner Y.Early markers in infants and toddlers for development of ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2014;18(1):14-22. doi:10.1177/1087054712447858American Academy of Pediatrics.Early Warning Signs of ADHD.American Academy of Pediatrics.Causes of ADHD: What We Know Today.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Athanasiadou A, Buitelaar J, Brovedani P, et al.Early motor signs of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2020;29:903–916. doi:10.1007/s00787-019-01298-5Johns Hopkins Medicine.Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children.American Academy of Pediatrics.Diagnosing ADHD in Children: Guidelines & Information for Parents.Brown H, Harvey E.Psychometric Properties of ADHD Symptoms in Toddlers. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 2019;48(3):423-439. doi:10.1080/15374416.2018.1485105Gurevitz M, Geva R, Varon M, Leitner Y.Early markers in infants and toddlers for development of ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2014;18(1):14-22. doi:10.1177/1087054712447858American Academy of Pediatrics.Early Warning Signs of ADHD.American Academy of Pediatrics.Causes of ADHD: What We Know Today.

Athanasiadou A, Buitelaar J, Brovedani P, et al.Early motor signs of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2020;29:903–916. doi:10.1007/s00787-019-01298-5Johns Hopkins Medicine.Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children.American Academy of Pediatrics.Diagnosing ADHD in Children: Guidelines & Information for Parents.Brown H, Harvey E.Psychometric Properties of ADHD Symptoms in Toddlers. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 2019;48(3):423-439. doi:10.1080/15374416.2018.1485105Gurevitz M, Geva R, Varon M, Leitner Y.Early markers in infants and toddlers for development of ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2014;18(1):14-22. doi:10.1177/1087054712447858American Academy of Pediatrics.Early Warning Signs of ADHD.American Academy of Pediatrics.Causes of ADHD: What We Know Today.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children.

American Academy of Pediatrics.Diagnosing ADHD in Children: Guidelines & Information for Parents.

Brown H, Harvey E.Psychometric Properties of ADHD Symptoms in Toddlers. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 2019;48(3):423-439. doi:10.1080/15374416.2018.1485105

Gurevitz M, Geva R, Varon M, Leitner Y.Early markers in infants and toddlers for development of ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2014;18(1):14-22. doi:10.1177/1087054712447858

American Academy of Pediatrics.Early Warning Signs of ADHD.

American Academy of Pediatrics.Causes of ADHD: What We Know Today.

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ADHD Is Harder to Diagnose in Younger Children#

Genetics#

Brain Function#

Head Injuries#

Prenatal Environment and Prematurity#

Lead and Other Toxins#

Most Kids Are Diagnosed in Elementary School#

A Word From Verywell#