Jennifer Molina

NURS 380

Development Discussion Board

Initial Post
Children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for
impaired development. ADHD is a mental disorder categorized by high levels of hyperactive
and impulsive behaviors. This disorder can have an impact on a child’s learning ability and
can interfere with their functional development. Children with ADHD can experience a
cognitive developmental delay. As nurses we can use different screening tools and
assessments that can help diagnosis the disorder early on. We can use the parents’
evaluation of the developmental status of their child as a way to track their development
and see if there are any abnormalities. During a routine check-up we can monitor a child’s
behavior and how they interact with others. It is very important to pay attention to a child’s
body language, how a child talks, and how a child answers questions. Nursing considerations
for this population include knowing that the child could be a fall risk due to them being
hyperactive. An important nursing consideration for this population is that it might cause
caregiver strain and we should be prepared to educate the caregiver on stress relief
therapies. Nurses should be very observant of both parent and child behaviors during a
general survey.

Primary and secondary prevention of ADHD does not guarantee the disorder will not
happen, but it can reduce the incidence rate and encourage positive development of a child.
Primary prevention can start during pregnancy and making sure the mother has the
appropriate prenatal care. Another example of primary prevention is encouraging a healthy
diet so that physical/physiological developments are met. Secondary prevention involves
using focused assessments and tools to diagnose the disorder early on. If a nurse notices
symptom of this disorder, prevention programs can be recommended such as enrolling
children in sports programs or a Head Start. If ADHD is caught early on in a child’s
development, it can prevent social and academic difficulties in later phases of development.

Reference:

Halperin, J. M., Bédard, A. C., & Curchack-Lichtin, J. T. (2012). Preventive interventions for
ADHD: a neurodevelopmental perspective. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American
Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, 9(3), 531–541. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-
012-0123-z
 Jennifer Molina
NURS 380

Response Post
Hi Sarah,

You have a very good post! Failure to thrive can be a big risk for neonates and this can
sometimes be because a mom didn't receive proper prenatal care. An integrative therapy
that can reduce this developmental risk is for the mother to take daily vitamins while she is
pregnant and breast feeding. You mentioned the importance of breastfeeding and another
integrative therapy that can be used are diet modifications. Depending on the families'
resources, they can include lots of vegetables which has been shown to increase breast milk.
I think risk for failure to thrive can be decreased with primary preventative measures.

Reference:

Birdee, G. S., Kemper, K. J., Rothman, R., & Gardiner, P. (2014). Use of complementary and
alternative medicine during pregnancy and the postpartum period: an analysis of the
National Health Interview Survey. Journal of women's health (2002), 23(10), 824–
829. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2013.4568