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Prenatal risk factors and genetic causes of ADHD in children

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Abstract

Background

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common disease among children; it affected 5–7% of the population in 2015. ADHD is a multifactorial disease, and its etiology is still not clearly understood.

Data Sources

This narrative review has been done by searching the PubMed and Embase databases using attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, risk factors; genetics; pediatrics; psychiatrics as keywords.

Results

ADHD is considered to be a hereditary disorder in which genes play the fundamental role in the pathogenesis; however, findings from genetic–environmental studies support the hypothesis that genetic factors can exert effects on an individual’s condition by determining his/her responses to environmental exposures, especially those during the prenatal stage.

Conclusion

ADHD is considered as a hereditary disorder in which genes and prenatal risk factors play fundamental roles in the pathogenesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Naghmeh Kian & Noosha Samieefar

  2. Network of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran

    Naghmeh Kian, Noosha Samieefar & Nima Rezaei

  3. USERN Office, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Naghmeh Kian & Noosha Samieefar

  4. Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Nima Rezaei

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  1. Naghmeh Kian
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NK: conceptualization and writing—original draft. NS: conceptualization, writing—review and editing, and supervision. NR: conceptualization, writing—review and editing, and supervision.

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Kian, N., Samieefar, N. & Rezaei, N. Prenatal risk factors and genetic causes of ADHD in children. World J Pediatr 18, 308–319 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-022-00524-6

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