Many parents wonder whether food allergies and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are connected in children. A new review of existing research looked at this question and found the picture is still unclear.
One small analysis that focused only on food allergy found no meaningful link to ADHD. However, several individual studies did report a connection. The review authors point out that these studies differed in how they defined diagnoses, where they got their information, and when they measured things. Some also did not account for other factors that could explain the results.
The review also examined whether changing a child's diet helps with ADHD symptoms. It found limited evidence that restrictive or elimination diets provide lasting benefit. These diets can also put a child's nutrition and feeding at risk.
Experts say families should not routinely try restrictive diets to manage ADHD. Instead, allergy care should focus on confirming a food allergy diagnosis, keeping foods the child can safely eat, watching growth, and referring behavior concerns to the right specialists. Proposed biological pathways linking allergies to ADHD remain unproven in people.
