Is your child hyperactive and keeps fidgeting all the time? Or, is s/he too quiet and does not respond as required?
Such behavioural patterns should not be neglected as they may be serious disorders falling in the category of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism.
At 'Mahapedicon 2014', a conference of Maharashtra pediatrics, it was stated that today's major concern was whether kids had ADHD and Autism. The conference was organised under the auspices of Indian Academy of Pediatricians (IAP) in association with New Horizons Child Development Centre (NHCDC), at Goregaon West on Thursday.
According to a NHCDC study, of every 1,301 children 422 suffer from ADHD, and one in every 68 has autism. These numbers are relatively high in India.
ADHD is a condition that affects children and adolescents, and can continue into adulthood for some. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 3 to 5% of children have ADHD.
Clinical psychologist Deepti Modak Kanade emphasised: "The best way to deal with ADHD kids is to make them more positive. They need to be allowed to play for two hours a day. What is of paramount importance is parents giving them quality time. The more time that is given, the better for recovery."
Experts believe autism presents itself in the first 3 years. It's the result of a neurological disorder that affects normal functioning of the brain, slowing communication and social interaction skills.
Dr Samir Dalwai, director, NHCDC, who is also a developmental pediatrician, said: "We are currently seeing a huge explosion in autism. Through NHCDC and Mahapedicon we attempt work with such problems and solve them at a certain level.
Dr Samir added: "Autism disorders can be prevented if kids are helped to stay away from animated/violent movies. They should also be kept away from coloured preservatives. They need to have 10-12 hours sleep. A record of the child's behaviour should be maintained."
Dr Waheeda Pagarkar, who works with National Health Service, London, says: "We are trying to create awareness among people. In the UK, they have a centralised government, so things become easy. Here the problem is that our system is not efficient enough. However, we want to take small steps that can grow larger in the course of time."
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