Your birth month may indicate that you have ADHD

Your birth month may indicate that you have ADHD

People born at the end of the year will be more worried about being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD) and specific language and learning disorders (ASLD) than people born at the beginning of the year.

In short, these are the findings of a huge national study conducted by Epi-Pher among more than four million children, thus relying on the national health data system that records all births in the country.

People born in December are more likely to have ADHD

“In France, in the absence of repetition in children at the same level of education there is an age difference of up to 12 months, which is a very significant relative difference during the first years,” the study said, highlighting before the “relative age effect” Underlines. This notion refers to an age difference of a few months between people belonging to a group formed by year of birth (the advantage of being born in January compared to December in the same class). The researchers say, “The effect of relative age within the same group is widely known in educational science, with the youngest children typically having lower academic performance and which can sometimes persist into adulthood.” Is.” A child born in December is on average 11 months younger than a child born in January, that is, the relative age difference between 5 years and 9 months on the one hand and 6 years and 8 months on the other hand is -13%. ,

Thus, youth born in December have a 55% increased risk of receiving methylphenidate treatment (Ritalin and generic) and a 64% increased risk of being referred to speech therapy sessions compared to those born in January.

A diagnostic bias to keep in mind

How to explain this surprising link? According to the researchers’ hypothesis, the diagnostic bias would be associated with neurological immaturity in children born late in the year, who are smaller than their peers but face extremely high demands. They would then be more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD) or learning disabilities.

“In contrast, the oldest children in the class (with greater maturity) were less likely to treat or delay treatment of ADHD and other specific language and learning disorders, with age effects particularly seen in the context of limited care provision in child psychiatry.” and speech therapy in France,” argue the study’s authors. They therefore urge systematic consideration of birth month in the assessment of behavior and learning. data revealed now Will be integrated into best practice recommendations on the diagnosis and management of children and adolescents with ADHD, which are currently being developed under the auspices of the High Authority for Health.

Source

Scientific Interest Group (GIS) Epi-Fare. The effect of relative age on the initiation of treatment with methylphenidate in children aged 5 to 10 years and the use of speech therapy in France. June 2024.