Epidemiology

27. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder and is associated with significant burden. More than half of children with ADHD continue to have this disorder in adulthood and live with many long-term adverse health and social conditions. The worldwide ADHD prevalence in children has been estimated at 7.2%. Genetic factors have been demonstrated to play a role in ADHD etiology with a heritability of 70%-80%. Other factors that play a role include low level of paternal education, low maternal age at delivery, prenatal smoking, prenata illicit drug use, birth complications, low birth weight, preterm delivery, neonatal jaundice, childhood asthma, maternal depression, use of prenatal antidepressants and acetaminophen exposure. It has been demonstrated that exposure to antibiotics in early life disrupts the equilibrium of gut microbiota and could potentially contribute to the development of ADHD. In a population-based cohort study, researchers found that early antibiotic exposure was associated with the development of ADHD (RR=1.10, 95% Confidence interval 1.01, 1.65). Is the association between early antibiotic exposure and ADHD causal? (Adapted from Hamad AF, Alessi-Severini S, Mahmud SM, Brownell M, Kuo I. Antibiotic exposure in the first year of life and the risk of Attention- 27. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder and is associated with significant burden. More than half of children with ADHD continue to have this disorder in adulthood and live with many long-term adverse health and social conditions. The worldwide ADHD prevalence in children has been estimated at 7.2%. Genetic factors have been demonstrated to play a role in ADHD etiology with a heritability of 70%-80%. Other factors that play a role include low level of paternal education, low maternal age at delivery, prenatal smoking, prenata illicit drug use, birth complications, low birth weight, preterm delivery, neonatal jaundice, childhood asthma, maternal depression, use of prenatal antidepressants and acetaminophen exposure. It has been demonstrated that exposure to antibiotics in early life disrupts the equilibrium of gut microbiota and could potentially contribute to the development of ADHD. In a population-based cohort study, researchers found that early antibiotic exposure was associated with the development of ADHD (RR=1.10, 95% Confidence interval 1.01, 1.65). Is the association between early antibiotic exposure and ADHD causal? (Adapted from Hamad AF, Alessi-Severini S, Mahmud SM, Brownell M, Kuo I. Antibiotic exposure in the first year of life and the risk of Attention