ADHD diagnoses among mothers surge in the years following childbirth. For many women, the transition to parenthood is a life-altering event, and a new study suggests that for some, this period may also reveal previously undiagnosed ADHD.

ADHD diagnoses among mothers surge in the years following childbirth

For many women, the transition to parenthood is a life-altering event filled with new challenges and responsibilities. A new study suggests that for some, this period may also reveal previously undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Researchers in Denmark found that while diagnosis rates drop during pregnancy, they rise noticeably in the years following childbirth. This research was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.

After the child was born, the diagnosis rates remained low for the first two years. The rates during this early postpartum phase were still lower than pre-pregnancy levels. This might reflect the societal normalization of the “exhausted new mother.” Difficulties with focus and organization are often expected during the infancy stage.

However, the trend shifted as the children grew older. Between two and five years after childbirth, the rate of new ADHD diagnoses began to climb. By four to five years postpartum, the rate was significantly higher than it was before the women became pregnant. The peak occurred at the tail end of the study period.

This delay suggests that women might not seek help immediately. They may struggle for years before realizing their difficulties go beyond normal parenting stress. As the child enters the toddler and preschool years, the demands on the mother’s executive functions increase. Managing a mobile, active child requires different cognitive resources than caring for an infant.

One specific finding regarding mental health history is particularly notable. The researchers looked at what happened to these women before they received their ADHD label. They found that more than half of the mothers diagnosed with ADHD postpartum had prior contact with psychiatric services.

Specifically, 53.9 percent of these women had received treatment for other mental health issues in the time between giving birth and their ADHD diagnosis. They had either visited a clinic for depression, anxiety, or substance use, or filled prescriptions for medications to treat these conditions. This indicates a high level of distress preceding the identification of ADHD.

It is common for ADHD to coexist with anxiety and depression. However, this timeline suggests a potential issue with misdiagnosis or delayed identification. Women may present to their doctors with complaints of feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or unable to cope. Clinicians might treat the mood disorder without recognizing the underlying neurodevelopmental cause.

Postpartum depression shares several symptoms with inattentive ADHD. Both conditions can involve difficulty concentrating, brain fog, and a sense of being overwhelmed. If a doctor focuses solely on the mood symptoms, the core issue remains untreated. The researchers suggest that the “depression” might sometimes be a consequence of untreated ADHD.

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10870547251372730

Yeah that happened to me. Watched my kid struggle so much beyond their peers and it was like looking in a mirror.

So I went to get a diagnoses too.

Anything that affects hormones – pregnancy/child birth, menopause, puberty, etc – tends to lead to an increase in neurodivergence diagnoses, especially in women.

My daughter’s first sentence was “I have a better idea.” Having two ADHD brains (mother and child) doing the thinking and one adult body trying to keep up was absolutely chaotic. Add in the toys and dishes and meals and lack of sleep or a mental break and all the coping skills of untreated ADHD max out.

I always thought that ADHD was a lifetime condition rather than something brought on my life events?

How is “revealing a previously undiagnosed disorder” different than developing a disorder later in life? Is it just that the stress and exhaustion and emotion of new parenthood drives these people to mental health treatment which presents the opportunity for diagnosis?

Would be interesting to compare those in this new parent new ADD group who never had any mental health counseling pre-pregnancy to those who did have that counseling but were not diagnosed until becoming a parent

I’m the poster child for this study.

I had a TERRIBLE pregnancy and post-partum despite everything being ‘normal’. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and medicated for both. It didn’t help. I just thought I was broken for not being able to cope with the chaos that came with raising kids. I craved routine. I wanted to go back to work.

But then my son was struggling so hard in daycare, and I couldn’t work since I was taking him home so often. He was fine at home with me, and I didn’t know why daycare was struggling so much (his peer to peer interactions were AWFUL). I didn’t know that I was understanding his brain… because it was my brain… and so I was parenting him the way I remember working for me when I was a kid – but daycare didn’t have the resources to be on him all the time like I needed.

We got him a play therapist to try and get him support to stay in daycare (he liked the socialization, despite the issues). Just in the span of one day, she was like, “He is definitely showing signs of ADHD.”

“But he’s just like me! How can he have ADHD when I don’t?”

She then asked about my social interactions, and my childhood behavior, and my husband, who was with us was like, “This explains so much. You check all those boxes… you have ADHD”

I was assessed. He was assessed. We’re both starting medication next month.

O they are just fuckin tired and they want some of that sweet adderall to keep going.

“For many women, the transition to parenthood is a life-altering event” – how could in not be?