Chapter 9 – Foetal Life, Digital Influence & ADHD,
Several environmental factors have been identified as putative risk factors for ADHD. In utero events such as maternal stress during pregnancy, prenatal exposure to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs/environmental toxins, pregnancy/birth complications, as well as intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight/prematurity have been associated with ADHD. Early postnatal environmental influences related to ADHD or core ADHD symptoms include neonatal anoxia and seizures, brain injury, exposure to lead, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Psychosocial adversity and high levels of family conflict were also associated with ADHD. Recent findings have related ADHD to more specific familial issues such as inconsistent parenting after controlling for parental ADHD, marital, and children’s negative appraisal of family conflict. Children having suffered early institutional deprivation for a duration of 6 months or above show high levels of ADHD-like symptoms, but in this population, inattention/hyperactivity was also strongly linked to attachment disorders.
Recent studies have taken into account genetic factors that may contribute to adverse prenatal and later life circumstances (i.e. smoking during pregnancy or stress during pregnancy might be more frequent in mothers with ADHD). A comparison of siblings differing for their exposure to prenatal nicotine showed that the association of smoking during pregnancy on subsequent ADHD in the child was reduced but remained significant by controlling for genetic and environmental confounds. A study of pregnant mothers related or unrelated to their child as a result of in vitro fertilization showed that prenatal stress was linked to ADHD only when mothers were related to their child, suggesting that the association may be accounted for by inherited factors. A recent twin study focused on ADHD-related conditions (antisocial behavior and substance use disorders in young adults), has provided an important insight into mechanisms of gene-environment influence on externalizing disorders by showing that genetic factors contribute more to the development of behavioral symptoms in a context of high environmental adversity, in accordance with a diathesis-stress model. These examples illustrate the importance of genetically informed study designs to further disentangle environmental and genetic contributions to ADHD.
Dr Simon Newell, Consultant Neonatologist and Vice President for Training & Assessment at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said:
“There are lots of mixed messages when it comes to alcohol advice so today’s guidance is a welcome and reliable source of information for women who are thinking about trying for a baby and for women who have already become pregnant.
“We know that around 6,000 babies a year in the UK are born with some form of fetal alcohol spectrum and as a consultant neonatologist, I see first-hand the serious harm this can have– it can cause brain damage, learning disabilities and physical problems.
“In my opinion, it is impossible to say what constitutes as a ‘safe’ amount of alcohol a mother can drink as every pregnancy is different, so my advice to mothers is don’t take a chance with your baby’s health and drink no alcohol at all.”
A baby in the womb has memory of womb life. She responds to mother’s pain & joy with facial reflections as can be seen by 4D ultrasonic photography. It is now known that neurotransmitters made by mother’s brain in response to too much digital stimulation affects child’s brain – resulting in hyperactive children. Mother’s give a history of psychologically disturbed pregnancy with Over 50 % of hyperactive children I have seen.
In Utero
ADHD, ADD – process may begin in the womb when the mother is exposed to violent music or movies. Mother’s neuro-transmitters cross the baby’s brain. Stimulant neurotransmitters in mother’s blood causes receptor down-regulation in child brain – in later life inattention which increases thru maternal neglect & digital nanny sitting. Prefrontal cortex is over wired causing impulsivity. Reticular system of the Brian is aroused overmuch.
- Dendritic changes can occur in utero when the mother is exposed to stress
- Chronic, uncontrollable stress in childhood might also have enduring effects on the adult PFC
- Exposure of mother to violent music, movies, excessive digital games – causes neurochemicals to cross placenta & enter baby brain in first 6 months. Change neuronal wiring
- Progestogens & other chemicals entering via mom affects PgE2 levels in fetal brain affecting neuronal expression. When the child’s brain is affected in the womb – that is the foetal brain, the child will manifest more irreversible traits earlier irrespective of digital overuse. Then their addiction to digital gadgets is a symptom rather than the cause. It’s known now that progesterone injections given to stabilise first trimester threatened abortions, alter the PGE2 levels of the foetal brain. PGE2 is a molecule that determines expression of dendrite connections of the neurones in the foetal brain.
- Traditional maternal deprivation
- One immediate issue is the baby’s lungs being unprepared to breathe air. Steroids can help accelerate lung development. However, the study by researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Oulu in Finland showed the drugs may also be affecting the developing brain.
- They compared what happened to 37 premature children whose mother was injected with steroids with 185 premature children, of the same weight and gestational age, who were not exposed to the extra dose of steroid. When the children were followed to the age of eight, there was a higher incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. No difference could be detected at age 16, but this may have been due to the small size of the study”.
New in Autism
An identified cause of autism is increased PGE 2 in fetal brain stunting neuronal stem cell interconnections & increasing Wnt regulated autism gene expression. One wonders if similar factors have any effect on ADHD brain.
- 1. Increase cosmetic use by mother may affect in baby brain by increasing PGE2 in baby brain.
- 2. Other environmental toxins will do the same as proved by high autism births in California in Summer & in New Orleans in Spring – the highest seasons of air pollution
- 3. Use of misoprostol as abortificent in failed abortion attempts in first trimester increases autism births
- 4. Autism births in US has increased from 1 in 88 children two years ago to 1 in 68 children. What tragedy!
- 5. Misoprostol the mischief maker was used in treating peptic ulcer
- 6. Mis-skewed low lipid diets may alter lipid molecules in the foetal brain.
- 7. Similar causes can be involved in ADHD
- 8. More research is needed to discover if PGE2 increases in the foetal brain when mother listens to violent music or watches violence which are implicated in ADHD.
- 9. Question – yet present levels of progesterones in the first Trimester (used for earlier contraception) and for threatened abortion – will it affect fetal brain PGE 2
Prevalence of ADHD Since 1970 – What Changed in 1970?
- Mothers too began to work – child lost contact with both parents. Conditions for Maternal Deprivation Syndrome accentuated
- Abortion was legalised in 1972. International Medical Association removed from the Hippocratic Oath – “I will not help woman procure an abortion”. Rejection became common
- Use of contraceptives that will affect the fetal brain development
- Use of cosmetics (nail varnish) & aerosols – crossing the placenta & affecting neuronal wiring
- The molecule PGE 2 in the fetal brain influences development of dendrites of neurones. Changes of PGE 2 concentration in certain areas of fetal brain in response to mother’s chemical flux, even determined by her digital overplay. Research has established the influence of PGE 2.
- Environmental toxins
- Vaccines with thiemerosol
- Increased use of alcohol by mother during pregnancy
- Digital Surplus in mother’s life during pregnancy