Kids with allergies, asthma at higher risk for attention-deficit disorder

A new study has found that there is an increased risk of attention-deficit disorder (ADHD) in boys that have a history of allergy or asthma.

"ADHD, a chronic mental health disorder, is most commonly found in males, while asthma is also more common in young boys than girls," Eelko Hak, lead study author, said.

"We found there is an increased risk of ADHD in boys with a history of asthma and an even stronger risk associated with milk intolerance," Hak said.

Researchers in the Netherlands and Boston studied 884 boys with ADHD and 3,536 boys without the disorder.

Of the children with ADHD, 34 percent had asthma and 35 percent had an allergic disorder.

The study suggests medications used to treat these conditions may be associated with an increased ADHD risk.

The study is published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).