What are early signs of ADHD in an infant?

Melissa - posted on 02/15/2013

Weirdly enough they already exhibit signs in utero but unless its already happened to you the signs won't be noticeable or even associated. My son has combined type and I've known in my gut since he was 2ish but I was the anti med mom being only 21 and ignorantly uneducated on the subject. He walked at 10 months old full sentences by 1 and fully potty trained just shy of 2, the things I took as signs was the kid was never occupied more than 1mins at a time obviously toddler attention spans are natural short this was different he needed constant mind stimulation provided by others. He use his own imagination to occupy him, he was never interested in toys that didn't move or make noise on their own. He taught himself to use the computer at 2 and how to navigate the preschool sites. His hyperactivity didn't show up until 6. But now he's full blown and can't function without a stimulant med. in pregnancy he never stopped moving. He tried to bust out at 6 months and was born at almost 8. The neurologist said that was early indications. My 2nd son barely moved to the point it caused concern today he's 7 and the most laid back kid I've ever seen

Lindsay - posted on 12/30/2012

From what I've read and know, it's not 'normal' for an 8 month old to not show eye contact/ sociability. Her lack of attention *could* be due to ADHD, but it's just too early to tell. Just love her, smile at her, hold her a lot, and encourage her. Even if she has autism/ADHD/ etc, having her mommy love her and encourage her to reach milestones will make all the difference. I have a 4.5 year old son with profound ADHD and he was very active as an infant also. Since there isn't really much you can do at this point to help her (you're not putting her on meds at this age), the recommendation is to just support and be sensitive to her needs. If she is emotionally sensitive, you can acknowledge her anger/ frustration and redirect it (eg. "oh, you are so mad/sad/angry. frusrated- here, this is how we ...XYZ). From what I know- eye contact and facial recognition is very important, so if she's doing that you can probably rule out Autism, but it might be something like Auditory Processing Disorder or Asperger's. THese children will make eye contact, but will look lost (or like they are looking through you) when you're speaking to them. They hear you and can see you trying to make contact, but they don't understand the communication. ADHD kids are just always on the go. They just don't stop. In girls this manifests in constant talking, daydreaming, or lack of attention to anything that doesn't stimulate them physically or mentally. OR she could be totally normal and this is just her personality. Do some research on warning signs- particularly related to GIRLS with ADHD (very different from boys). Good luck.

Jenelle - posted on 03/07/2010

She could very well have ADHD, but I wouldn't worry about it until she is old enough for it to affect her socially and in school. You don't want to medicate until you HAVE to. With her being so young some meds could affect her growth and devolopment. If you truly believe that she has ADHD, the best thing you can do for her now is educate yourself NOW! Learn everything you can about ADHD and know your rights. You are her only alli. The more you know, the better off the both of you will be. I wish you all the luck in the world!

Karen - posted on 03/05/2010

Hi Melissa. My son is 9 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in kindergarten. The thing is, he was the opposite of your daughter at that age. He was diagnosed with developmental delays, and very laid back. If it was up to him, he'd just lay there with this big grin and let us do everything for him. We had to go to physical therapy for him to learn to roll over, crawl and walk. Then occupational therapy for fine motor skills and sensory training because he did not like certain textures on his skin. Finally there was speech therapy because he would just point at everything and say a few words like "cookie" or "truck". When he turned 3 that all ended and we thought that he was OK. But by the time he was 4 1/2 to 5 years old and still having tantrums, trying to runaway from the daycare, and talking nonstop we knew something was wrong. Everybody was trying to diagnose him with something: asbergers, autism, adhd, bipolar...you name it. But our pediatrician recommended that he see a behavior specaialist at the start of kindergarten and she has been wonderful. Through a series of visits and info from my family and his teachers, he was diagnosed after 6 months. It has not been easy, even with the behavior therapist and medication since he was 6, it can still be a very big challenge to raise a child with adhd. But very rewarding. He is very smart...A-B student, and one of the sweetest, most caring and funny kids that I know.

I now have a 14 month old and I have found myself keeping my eye on her for signs, but I've found out that each child is different in their development. So as long as she is making her milestones on time, I try not to worry so much.



I guess what I'm trying to say is to keep an eye on her and her milestones, but try not to worry too much. Each child is different, learns at different rates with their own personalities and temperment. From what I've seen, they usually don't diagnose adhd until they are atleast 3 years old, and those are really severe cases where the behavior is really a problem. So enjoy your baby, help her meet those milstones and check with your pediatrician if you're worried about anything. I hope that this helped some.

Jeannie - posted on 03/04/2010

Hi Melissa! I wouldn't be too quick to think my daughter had ADHD or any other illness or disease at that age. This is a very tender age and they are learning SOOO much really fast. We knew at a very young age that my son POSSIBLY had ADHD, and later found it not only true, but also he was ADHD/ADD Complex and he had allergies to boot. Normally when a child has ADHD there is something to accompany it such as early Asthma or not just one, but varies allergies. Also, children with ADHD tend to develop very quickly. Not so in ALL cases, but in the majority. For example, my son cut two teeth at two months old and two teeth every other month thereafter. He made three word phrases at one year old and walked at nine months and was running at eleven months old. Also (in our experience and I have been educated) that some early signs of ADHD are lack of sleep, extreme tantrums, defiance at a very early age, and early growth spurts. All signs don't have to be there, and they may vary, but at your daughters age I would be leary to take heed to the ADHD call unless you have extensive testing and psychological evaluations done. Even then it is extremely hard to say a child has ADHD at such an early age. We knew my son was really smart (which still proves true today) and that he developed much faster than other children his age, but didn't even fathom the idea of ADHD until he was 2 yrs old. Also statistics show (not that it can't happen) that ADHD is more frequent in boys, 1 in 4 to be exact. To be honest, my son, even at a very young age wasn't easily distracted at all. The signs of food allergies, lactose intolerance and frequent flu/phnuemonia and breathing illnesses slipped right by me without the thought of ADHD because he showed no other signs until he was a little older. Hope this helps, but you also have to remember that ALL cases are different and unique, and each child will react differently whether it be quicker, take longer, react strongly, mildly or thier reactions to medications. Please be aware and be very cautious of anyone trying to tell you that your daughter has ADHD at such a young age. I by no means am saying it's not possible, but I am saying that I personally would not be too quick to react and her so young unless you have had several medical opinions and know without a doubt. Oh, one more thing, our tantrums didn't really start until he was almost 2 if that helps any at all. Good luck!