Abstract
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal , perinatal and postnatal problems and the duration of breast feeding on the development of psychopathology in attention deficit and disruptive behavior disorders (DBD).
Methods:
21 boys with a diagnosis of ADHD and 26 boys with ADHD and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), who were seeking medical treatment for the first time at the child psychiatry outpatient clinic of Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine and a control group consisted of 27 healthy volunteer boys were included in the study. Sociodemographic data, prenatal, natal and post natal histories and the duration of breast feeding of children were obtained by a sociodemographic data form. The parents filled DSM-IV based behavior disorders screening form and rating scale for attention deficit and disruptive behavior disorders, and the teachers filled Conners Teacher Rating Scale.
Results:
It was found out that the mothers’ encounter with psychosocial stressors during pregnancy were significantly higher in ADHD and comorbid ODD group compared to the control group. The duration of breast feeding was significantly shorter in children with ADHD than in controls.
Conclusion:
It seems that the stress experienced by mothers during pregnancy might have had a negative effect on the functions of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and by this way contributed to the development of ADHD and ODD. Breast feeding might prevent the development of ADHD.
Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, psychosocial stress, breast feeding.
