CHILDREN who develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in later life may have been more likely to suffer injuries as an infant, says new research.
While head injuries do not cause it, they can be an early sign of a later diagnosis, researchers said.
This may be because children who go on to develop ADHD take more risks as youngsters, and are more likely to suffer head injuries.
Children with ADHD display problems such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
Symptoms include a short attention span, restlessness, being easily distracted and constant fidgeting.
ADHD affects between 3% and 9% of school-age children and young people.
In the latest study, experts analysed data from 62,088 UK children, of which 2,782 had a head injury and 1,116 a burn injury.
They were trying to find if suffering an injury as a child could lead to ADHD. But they found no evidence of a direct link between the two.