As we all know, the CBD market has grown tremendously in the last few years. It’s now being used as a one-pill solution to treat & manage a wide range of health issues. For everyday people, it provides relief from anxiety, pain, inflammation, and disturbed sleep cycles.
Some also report better mood and focus, while others say that rubbing CBD-rich topicals on their skin relieves itching, redness, and dryness and prevents potential acne breakouts. There’s also been some positive development in trials where CBD is being used for the treatment of neurological conditions like ADHD.
The most widely affected demographic of ADHD ( Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ) is kids. So naturally, parents all across the country are curious whether CBD can help their kids with this attention disorder. You’ll also note some brands putting out CBD gummies for kids on their sites. But is it the right approach? Can CBD help kids with ADHD? Let’s find out.
What exactly is ADHD?
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a neurological condition that mostly affects kids in their developing years. The common symptoms include:
- Poor Attention Span: Being lost in daydreams, losing track of tasks (like forgetting homework), missing instructions, or getting distracted easily (e.g., dropping a pencil and zoning out).
- Hyperactivity: Constant fidgeting, excessive talking, running/climbing inappropriately, and difficulty in staying still.
- Impulsivity: Acting without thinking, interrupting conversations, grabbing toys, blurting answers before questions end, or constantly bothering people around.
Experts still don’t know the exact reason behind ADHD, but the prevalent theory is that it’s mostly due to genetics or extreme environments while growing up. It’s not from poor parenting but because of differences in brain chemistry and structure.
So, if you have a running history of ADHD in your family, chances are your kids will suffer from it, too. At first, it may seem like just typical child behavior, but parents should note down the behavior. If your kid forgets to do homework frequently, loses their stuff, zones out during the conversation, or doesn’t stay still to finish a task, then chances are they have ADHD.
Without support, ADHD can hurt self-esteem, academic performance, and relationships. But parents and teachers can help the kid tackle it together by offering the kid behavioral therapy, some medications, and giving extra attention to the kid during class hours and at home.
Early intervention can help the affected kids learn to manage symptoms, build confidence, and succeed in school and life.
Can CBD help kids with ADHD?
CBD is a natural plant compound that is extracted from hemp plants and then converted into different consumable forms like gummies, oils, capsules, and more. CBD is capable of calming extra stimulation in the brain and nerves through its action on the Endocannabinoid system and serotonin receptors.
This leads to better focus and mental clarity for some people, and that’s why some parents assume that it can help their kids with ADHD. But, to date, there hasn’t been a concrete study yet that shows that CBD works as a viable treatment for ADHD in kids.
That’s why most doctors warn parents not to blindly rely on CBD as a calming agent for their hyperactive kid. A 2017 trial in Frontiers in Pharmacology noted that CBD reduced hyperactivity in children with autism, which can overlap with ADHD traits, but this doesn’t directly apply to ADHD.
Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t want parents to use CBD for ADHD treatments in kids because there’s no clear information yet regarding how CBD affects a developing brain.
Plus, so far, the only CBD-based prescription medication approved for Kids is Epidolex, which is prescribed in cases of severe epilepsy only. During Epidolex trials, it was observed that CBD caused some concerning side effects in kids, like diarrhea, high fever, memory loss, appetite change, liver issues, and drowsiness.
That’s why most of the medical community is hesitant about CBD use for ADHD treatment; there’s simply not enough data and safety comfort yet. So maybe CBD can help your kid with certain attention span issues, but there’s no guarantee that it will help with ADHD specifically.
Plus, no doctor will support it either. The stance may change if more in-depth and rigorous research comes out in the future.
What other treatments are available for Kids with ADHD?
From a medical standpoint, only stimulant medications like Methylphenidate have shown promising results in Kids with ADHD. In tests, it was observed that improved focus in 70-80% of kids involved in the study.
Some prefer to make regular child therapist visits. A therapist can teach them useful ways to handle their feelings and stay focused. They might learn tricks like taking deep breaths when feeling frustrated or using a fidget toy to help them concentrate.
Family counseling is also valuable because it helps parents and siblings better understand ADHD. The whole family can learn strategies to work together and support each other. Behavioral therapy is also quite effective; it helps kids develop good habits and skills they can use every day.
The therapist can teach kids to organize their homework, manage time, and deal with difficult social situations. Involving kids in regular sports like running, swimming, or football can also help by burning extra energy and improving focus and sense.
A clear schedule also helps, like waking up, eating, and going to bed at the same time. Lastly, positive reinforcement works great, for example, rewarding your kid for good behavior and certain milestones.
The Final Takeaways
To sum it up, CBD may not be the best approach to helping kids with ADHD. The research on this topic is very limited for now, and most healthcare professionals don’t support this.
The only feedback is from a selected few anecdotal experiences. Instead, therapies, positive reinforcement, distraction-free study spaces, and a welcoming environment at home should be adopted.
However, for adult use cases, you can consider CBD, as it may clear brain fog, help you to calm down, and improve your overall focus. If you do decide to buy some gummies to reduce your restlessness, opt for only reputed and well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals.