(ABC News) New research finds a sharp increase in drug treatment for
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition that affects
millions of children, but it's more common in boys than girls.
Symptoms include:
-hyperactivity
-impulsive behavior
-difficulty focusing
Drugs are often prescribed, and a new study finds that's more true than ever.
Researchers looked at drug trends for infants, children and adolescents. They found that -- although pediatric prescriptions have been declining in number -- those for ADHD increased 46 percent from 2002 to 2010.
That's about 800,000 new prescriptions a year.
The Centers for Disease Control also saw a jump in the number of U.S. children reported to have ADHD. It went from 4.4 million to 5 million during the same time period.
