• Posted August 6, 2026

Parenting Can Offset ADHD Risk In Toddlers, Study Says

Kind and patient parenting can offset an increased risk of ADHD that children might have developed in the womb, a new study says.

Children can have a higher risk of ADHD if they’ve been exposed to inflammation during pregnancy, caused by maternal health factors like infection, diabetes, smoking and stress, researchers said.

But this risk can be blunted if parents develop a warm and responsive relationship with their infants early in life, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

“We know that genetics play a role in ADHD, but what this research demonstrates is that the early environment is also an important factor,” said senior researcher Hanna Gustafsson, an associate professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland.

“Fetal brain development and risk for ADHD are influenced by the prenatal environment,” she said in a news release. “Yet brain development doesn’t stop when a child is born; it continues throughout life and can be molded by children’s experiences, their family relationships and their community.”

For the new study, researchers tracked more than 300 pregnant women and their offspring.

The team measured the expecting mothers’ inflammation using blood samples drawn in the second trimester. The team then observed interactions between mother and child at 6 months old, and the kids’ ADHD symptoms were assessed at 3 years old.

Results showed that higher inflammation during pregnancy was linked to ADHD symptoms during a child’s early preschool years.

However, ADHD symptoms were more likely to occur when children experienced lower-than-average levels of sensitive parenting.

Examples of sensitive caregiving include:

• Taking a few moments out of the day to actively engage with a child

• Responding promptly to children when they speak

• Talking in a warm, calm tone of voice

• Waving or smiling at the child

“There is so much pressure on new parents, yet societally we provide limited support and tools,” lead researcher Elinor Sullivan said in a news release. She’s a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at OHSU.

“This research demonstrates that small moments of engagement and emotional connection with your child can create a significant, lifelong impact,” Sullivan said.

Researchers next plan to examine interventions to reduce inflammation during pregnancy, including taking fatty acid supplements or using mindfulness meditation.

“There’s no playbook for parenting,” Gustafsson said. “Supporting caregivers throughout the transition to parenthood will not only benefit children but also create healthier families and communities for generations to come.”

More information

CHADD has more on parenting teens with ADHD.

SOURCE: Oregon Health & Science University, news release, Aug. 3, 2026