Raena Morgan: Many parents are concerned about ADHD; they don’t want to put their children on Ritalin. How can that be prevented?
Dr. Molly Ferguson: To begin with the prevention of ADHD really begins with healthy prenatal care and healthy infancy, which would certainly include a healthy diet for the mother during pregnancy—Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation which is needed for optimal brain development. It [has] actually been shown that mothers who have a higher Omega 3 fatty acid component in their blood are—that their children are actually smarter.
Raena Morgan: Smarter?
Dr. Molly Ferguson: They [are] on average, yes. On average you will have a smarter child if take Omega 3 fatty acids.
Raena Morgan: All right, that’s all we need to hear!
Dr. Molly Ferguson: So there you go, that’s the first step, healthy brain development in the womb.
Raena Morgan: All right.
Dr. Molly Ferguson: Continuing healthy development in infancy…would include breast feeding, again, a nutritious diet [for the mother] because the nutrition the baby receives is the nutrition the mother eats. So, a healthy diet for the mom, healthy nutrients for the baby, continuing with the Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation in the mother throughout breast feeding. And then, into childhood not exposing your children to a lot of heavily pesticized foods, artificial colors, artificial ingredients, is going to be the next key. Another component is intestinal health. Our intestines actually produce more neurotransmitters than our brain. The nervous system that runs along our intestines produces more neurotransmitters than our brain. So, our intestinal health is incredibly important in our overall health, our mental function and [our] well being as well. And, one of the components of intestinal health is a healthy population of flora. Our gut is actually populated with more little microorganisms than there are cells in our body, a huge population that’s living right inside of us. So, changes in that population can make an incredible difference in our overall health and well being. So, things like antibiotics can be a problem because they kill off that population and then you have the potential for re-population with the wrong sorts of microorganisms that can cause inflammation and then lead to poor neurotransmitter function and production. Make sure that if your child needs to use an antibiotic that you’re eating good cultured products such as yogurts, and replacing those floras with probiotic supplements can be very helpful.
Raena Morgan: So, these suggestions can help prevent it?
Dr. Molly Ferguson: These suggestions can help prevent it and they are also a starting point for treatment. So, typically when I see a child with ADHD I’m going to ask history of antibiotic use, diet, and about their symptoms, their G.I. symptoms, because that is so important in preventing and treating ADHD; that’s one starting point that I’ll often approach treatment from.
Raena Morgan: Well, thank you for that explanation.
Dr. Molly Ferguson: You’re welcome.
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