The American Academy of Pediatrics has expanded the age range for the diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to children as young as 4 and as old as 18, in new guidelines released on Sunday.

The academy is emphasizing the use of behavior treatments over medication in most cases, for the youngest children.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

“I think the most significant changes are expanding the ages from preschool through adolescence. The original guidelines were from 6 to 12, because that’s where the evidence was. We’ve been able to broaden the scope of the guidelines because there was more evidence available for preschoolers and adolescents,” said the lead author of the new recommendations, Dr. Mark Wolraich, CMRI Shaun Walters Professor of Pediatrics and the Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

Wolraich added that the new guidelines also give pediatricians advice on managing inattention or hyperactivity problems that don’t quite meet the definition of ADHD.

The new guidelines will be presented at the academy’s annual meeting in Boston and will be published in the November issue of Pediatrics.

Dr. Richard Gallagher, director of special projects at the Institute for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity and Behavior Disorders at the NYU Child Study Center in New York City, said, “Medications should be used very carefully. I’m admittedly biased since I primarily do behavioral work, but behavioral work does have its limits. If a child is getting into dangerous situations or presenting with problems interacting appropriately with peers and adults, medications can be very useful. When monitored carefully, medications are safe for the vast majority of kids.”

According to a new study, putting the cellphone aside before going to sleep can be good for one and all as texting before going to bed can affect sleep and moods.

Dr. Peter G. Polos of JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J., and colleagues found that text messaging and other electronic communication media were associated with excessive movement during sleep, insomnia, and leg pain at night in students ages 8 to 22.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

The report linked “high rates of daytime cognitive or mood problems … including ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning difficulties,” with late-night usage of mobiles and other electronic media.

“Attempts at limiting use at bedtime appear to be reasonable,” ABC News quoted the researchers as saying.

They suggested that parents set appropriate times for text messaging and other technology use and take proactive steps like moving computers out of the bedroom.

The participants averaged 33.5 text messages or e-mails sent per night to an average of 3.7 people for a total of 3,404 text messages per person per month.

These occurred from 10 minutes to four hours after bedtime.

Dr. David D. Gutterman of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee said physicians should ask questions about technology use when evaluating children for sleep issues.