New research from the University of South Australia is showing that women who have children at a younger age have a higher risk of having a child who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study looked at reproductive traits such as maternal age and its relationship to key psychiatric disorders.

The research, published in Nature's Scientific Reports, found that maternal age, especially women who had their child before the age of 20, was strongly related to the occurrence of ADHD, Science Daily reports. The study looked at the data of more than 220 thousand women and examined how their age at first birth, age at first sexual intercourse, age at first occurrence of menstruation, age at menopause, and the number of live births and how it was genetically correlated to ADHD, autism, eating disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Associate Professor Hong Lee, a researcher on the study, said the findings can benefit women. "Young mums can have it tough, especially as they're adjusting to becoming a parent while they're still young themselves," Lee said. "By understanding the links between becoming a mother at a young age and having a child with ADHD, we're able to better educate and support families sooner."

Lee said that having this information allows healthcare professionals to educate young mothers on the risk of their child having ADHD as well as what to look for, so they can get any help they need sooner.

"ADHD is treatable, but early diagnosis and interventions are key to a successful outcome," Lee added.

While the research is helpful, Lee cautions against the assumption that young maternal age will absolutely lead to a child having ADHD. "It's important to understand that while there is a clear genetic link between ADHD and young mothers, this is not necessarily a causal relationship," Lee stated. "ADHD is a highly heritable disorder which means that a young mother may also have the genes affecting ADHD risk which is then inherited by her child. Knowing a woman has a genetic predisposition for ADHD can be recorded in her family medical history then used to monitor her health and the health of her offspring. In this way, we're able to ensure both mother and baby receive the support and help they need."

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