Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Children of parents with addiction are at high risk for developing ADHD. Mutation in some gene such as 5HTTLPR, DAT1, D4DR4, and MAO-A have been linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and susceptibility for opiate addiction. Also parental behavioral disorder sets children at a more specific risk for developing behavioral disorder themselves. Opioid abuse is epidemic, and many of the adults using this substance are parents. The purpose of the current paper is to review conducted studies the association of opioid abuse with child behavioral problem specially ADHD. Findings indicate that there are some studies examining children’s ADHD and parenting when parents abuse opioids. We conclude that parents of children with ADHD have more substance abuse and history of ADHD in their background. Smoking during pregnancy associated with a twofold to fourfold increased risk ADHD in the offspring. Children of opiate-dependent mothers had a higher rate of ADHD compared to those of the opiatedependent fathers. Genetic and socioeconomic confounders may contribute to this association. Parental addiction can lead to an increase ADHD in the children. Therefore early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of ADHD in these children are necessary to reduce health costs and improve the health system.

Biography

Alireza Rezayi has subspeciality in child neurology and clinical neurophysiology and he is working on rare disease such as refractory epilepsy, neurometabolic and ADHD in tertiary center of child neurology center (Mofid Children Hospital and Loghman Hakim Hospital) in Tehran, Iran. He has published several articles in the field of child neurology and he is a Faculty Member of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and interested in education of child neurology. He was certificated in Iranian child neurology national board in September 2011 and he has membership in several international child neurology society such as ICNA (International Child Neurology Association), AOCNA (Asian and Oceanian Child Neurology Association), EPSN (European Paediatric Neurology Society) and Iranian Child Neurology Association.

E-mail: rezayi@razi.tums.ac.ir