Children Who Are Young for Their Grade Are More Likely to Be Diagnosed with ADHD

In a Taiwanese study, the youngest children in a grade were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and to receive ADHD medications than the oldest children.

Does a child's relative age in her school grade affect diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? To find out, researchers in Taiwan examined national health insurance data from 1997 to 2011 for roughly 380,000 children aged 4 to 17 years. They compared ADHD diagnoses and medication use between children born in August (youngest) and those born in September (oldest; August 31 is the birthdate cutoff for school enrollment in Taiwan). Children with ADHD received at least two diagnoses by board-certified psychiatrists during the study period.

Overall, the rate of ADHD diagnosis increased with each birth month, from 1.8% for children born in September to 2.9% for those born in August. A similar, significant trend …

Reviewing Author

Cara Adler, MS

Children Who Are Young for Their Grade Are More Likely to Be Diagnosed with ADHD

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