CBD, A PROMISING WAY OF HELPING CHILDREN WITH ADHD

ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), a neurodevelopment condition, has become common among children. Adults suffer from it too, and CBD has helped them deal with this health issue.

As a parent, the most painful experience is seeing your child suffering from neurodevelopment conditions like ADHD. You may ask yourself, how can I save my child from this awful condition? What can I do to improve my child’s health? ADHD affects around 11% of children in the U.S. the statistics for this condition continue to provide higher numbers. Neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD often result from genetic and development factors. ADHD cannot be cured or prevented, but with a good treatment plan and support from the family, a child suffering from it can live a normal life. CBD oil is among the trusted supplements to manage ADHD symptoms in adults. But is CBD oil useful in treating ADHD in children? This blog discusses CBD and ADHD in children.

How CBD Helps With ADHD

Oberbarnscheidt& Miller (2020) explained that CBD activates glycine and opioid receptors, which regulate neurotransmitters serotonin and pain to help an individual feel better. This compound can help with ADHD because of its neurodevelopment-related benefits. These benefits include;

• Reduces anxiety
• Reduces seizures
• Provides antipsychotic effects
• Regulates the immune system
• Reduces inflammation
• Reduces pain

Consumers using CBD products claim to experience noticeable improvements in hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Cannabis products like CBD greatly influence neurotransmitters, and users have fewer ADHD symptoms.

Should Your Child Take CBD for ADHD?

Mitelpunkt et al. (2019) explained that there’s inadequate evidence about CBD’s effect on children. Van et al. (2019) stated that Epidiolex is the only marijuana-derived treatment that Food and drug administration approves to treat epilepsy in adults and children. CBD products may contain harmful ingredients threatening a child’s health because it's not yet regulated. Still, cannabis experts explain that kids can use CBD products if the parent is sure the CBD is high quality and free from unwanted substances.

What If You Want Your Child to Benefit from CBD?

Only give your child CBD after the doctor has assured you it’s safe for the kid to consume cannabidiol. CBD reacts differently to people, and the only way to ensure the child benefits from it is through a doctor’s assessment. The doctor should be CBD-pro and must consider the kid’s body chemistry, age, weight, familiarity with cannabis products, and whether the current medications can negatively interact with CBD. However, exercise cautiousness by monitoring how they behave after taking it. Change of behavior like poor eating habits, sleepiness, or other new symptoms that were not noticeable before the usage of CBD means the child is not reacting well to CBD, and you should stop using it.

How To Introduce Your Child To CBD

It may take some time before a child gets used to CBD products. And, it may take extra effort to convince the kid to accept the dosage. That’s why you need to implement a child-friendly strategy for the child to accept and get used to CBD as part of an ADHD treatment plan. Here is what you can do;

Teach Them About CBD

According to Franke et al. (2018), Children with ADHD are quick to react badly to lifestyle changes. They are likely to reject a CBD product if it’s their first time hearing about it, seeing it, or using it. So, let your child understand CBD and its benefits before using it. Show them what CBD looks like and encourage them by narrating how it has improved the health of others. But don’t overwhelm your child with new information about CBD. Feed them with little information at a time.

Make It a Game

Excitingly incorporate CBD products. Make the dosage session an interactive activity. Creating fun trivia or using a hide and seek game to look for CBD supplements are great games to make the child have fun while taking CBD.

Introduce CBD Gradually

Introducing CBD in small dosages is an effective way of helping the body become familiar with it. This technique has worked well with adults and will work on children too. With kids making CBD, a sudden lifestyle might increase their likelihood of rejecting it. So, give them a slow dosage as you increase little by little until you are sure the kid has fully accepted it.

Choose CBD That Tastes Good

CBD products are available in various flavors and different forms. Most ADHD medications have a ‘boring taste’ that kids may not like. So, giving your child a delicious CBD will be a great treat. Look for CBD products that are naturally flavored and sweet.

Conclusion

CBD shows good promises for improving the health of ADHD patients. It can also help children dealing with this condition get better. However, more research is needed to confirm its safety, effectiveness, dosage, and how it contributes to treating children. Overall, CBD has an impressive impact on ADHD symptoms. If you want your child to use CBD for ADHD, consult a healthcare professional before trying it. 

References

Franke, B., Michelini, G., Asherson, P., Banaschewski, T., Bilbow, A., Buitelaar, J. K., ... & Reif, A. (2018). Live fast, die young? A review on the developmental trajectories of ADHD across the lifespan. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 28(10), 1059-1088.

Hausman-Kedem, M., Menascu, S., & Kramer, U. (2018). Efficacy of CBD-enriched medical cannabis for treatment of refractory epilepsy in children and adolescents–An observational, longitudinal study. Brain and Development, 40(7), 544-551.

Oberbarnscheidt, T., & Miller, N. S. (2020). The impact of cannabidiol on psychiatric and medical conditions. Journal of clinical medicine research, 12(7), 393.

Chong, D. J., & Lerman, A. M. (2016). Practice update: review of anticonvulsant therapy. Current neurology and neuroscience reports, 16(4), 1-14.

VanDolah, H. J., Bauer, B. A., & Mauck, K. F. (2019, September). Clinicians’ guide to cannabidiol and hemp oils. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 94, No. 9, pp. 1840-1851). Elsevier.