[Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder associated with other prevalent pathologies of early childhood?].

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with other prevalent medical pathologies of the paediatric age.

METHODS

Several paediatric pathologies were selected with the aim of reviewing their association with ADHD: in paediatric pulmonology, asthma and other allergic processes; in paediatric neurology, headache and febrile seizures; in paediatric gastroenterology, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, gastroesophageal reflux and infection by Helicobacter pylori; in paediatric nephrology, enuresis; in paediatric cardiology, bruits and congenital heart disease; in paediatric endocrinology, thyroid disorders and obesity; and in paediatric ophthalmology, ametropia and strabismus.

CONCLUSIONS

Several studies were found that related ADHD with allergic processes, overweight/obesity, peripheral resistance to thyroid hormone, enuresis, febrile seizures, headache, congenital heart disease, ophthalmic disorders and tooth decay, with some controversial issues and details still to be defined. It can be concluded that further interdisciplinary studies are needed to clarify the associations and underlying mechanisms involved, so as to be able to gain a deeper understanding of the complex entity of ADHD and to suggest preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions with regard to its comorbidities.