A new study shows a big spike in the number of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Non-Hispanic white children have the highest diagnosis rates.
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente looked at 850,000 children and found the number diagnosed with the disorder rose 24 percent between 2001 and 2010. The spike was most dramatic for African American girls, with a 90 percent increase.
Pediatrician Robert Moss says the findings don't mean more kids are getting the disorder. He believes doctors are better at recognizing the symptoms, especially in minorities.
According to Dr. Moss, "there's a large group of individuals that have issues with attention, with focus with organization that aren't necessarily hyperactive who are going missed for a number of years."
The CDC estimates that between four to twelve percent of American children have ADHD and that it costs the country $36 to $52 billion dollars a year in healthcare costs.
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente looked at 850,000 children and found the number diagnosed with the disorder rose 24 percent between 2001 and 2010. The spike was most dramatic for African American girls, with a 90 percent increase.
Pediatrician Robert Moss says the findings don't mean more kids are getting the disorder. He believes doctors are better at recognizing the symptoms, especially in minorities.
According to Dr. Moss, "there's a large group of individuals that have issues with attention, with focus with organization that aren't necessarily hyperactive who are going missed for a number of years."
The CDC estimates that between four to twelve percent of American children have ADHD and that it costs the country $36 to $52 billion dollars a year in healthcare costs.
