attention deficit disorder and fatty acid deficiency

I have been searching for information regarding fatty acid dificiency.  While reading a magazine I came across an advertisement for Efalex for ADD.  It's selling point is fatty acid dificiency and it's relation to ADD/ADHD.  My son is 12 years old.  He weighs 58 pounds and is a peanut.  Our doctor is not concerned about his size.  My husband and his family are not big people.  However, the Ritalin seems to cause his appetite to disappear.  The good side of Ritalin is that he is able to focus and enjoys life.  My question is:  Is there a test that could be conducted to see if my son has fatty acid deficiency?  Would this dificiency cause him to be very slim?  I appreciate your knowledge.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Ms. Andrews,

I will address your question in detail tomorrow, when I can obtain some references I would like to recommend to you.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Ms. Andrews,

Your question touches on a couple of important matters. First, as you have learned, stimulant medications (such as Ritalin) used in the treatment of ADHD can suppress appetite. In children who are small in stature to begin with, it's important to monitor weight to be sure the loss of appetite is not resulting in weight loss. Generally it works out OK, but should be watched.

Second, ADHD is a neuro-biological condition with a pretty wide array of possible symptoms. Biological, psychological and social factors interact in ways that make each instance unique in symptom picture. Many factors can be instrumental in ADHD, among them genetic predisposition, neurochemical issue, sensitivities to food, and psychosocial stressors.

Without doubt, certain nutritional and metaboloic imbalances can contribute to the symptom picture of ADHD. One of these is an imbalance in essential fatty acids. EFA's are an important ingredient in the membranes of the body, including the membranes of brain cells. Deficiencies in essential fatty acids can have a direct bearing on the functioning of brain cells. And there is pretty convincing evidence that EFA supplementation can be of beneifit to some children who display ADHD. This matter of essential fatty acids and implications around ADHD is separate from your child's weight/stature issue - he seems to have inherited this trait from his father's side.

Now, relative to supplementation of ESA's, too often parents proceed to add supplements, assuming they won't be harmful. This is unwise. Supplementation should only occur with the guidance of your son's doctors. Fatty acid analysis, along with other biochemical laboratory tests, can be done to identify metabolic or nutritional deficiencies. These test results can then lead to an individualized plan for supplementation.

You might want to do some reading about EFA's and their relationships with certain neuro-biological and emotional conditions. If you utilize the SEARCH function in this Forum, and search MEDLINE, you will see a number of references.

[otmoma]

A related discussion, EFAs and ADD was started.