Dr. Mike

Norfolk, Va. - Doctors may be over-diagnosing some groups of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and over prescribing drugs to treat the condition, according to a new study published Wednesday.

ADHD has been estimated to affect 3% to 5% of school-age children nationwide, with less than 3% actually receiving medication, said Gretchen LeFever, a pediatric psychologist and lead author of the study.

By comparison, her research found that 8% to 10% of children in second through fifth grades routinely took ADHD medication in school during the 1995-96 school year.

"It's hard to believe this many children have the specific brain-related problem called ADHD," said LeFever.

The use of the medication increased as children aged. By the fifth grade, 19% to 20% of boys received ADHD drugs.

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