There is no known way to prevent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Avoiding alcohol, drugs, and smoking during pregnancy may help prevent a child from developing behavior similar to ADHD as well as many other health problems.

Although you cannot prevent ADHD, you can help your child have fewer learning and attention problems by:

• Having good medical care and practicing healthy habits during pregnancy.
• Learning and applying good parenting skills, including setting consistent behavior limits.
• Maximizing preschool learning and attention skills by reading to your child and providing new learning experiences such as puzzles and board games. The development of attention skills can be increased with these types of activities rather than by watching television.

In addition, nurturing techniques that begin at birth and continue throughout childhood will help your child reach his or her potential regardless of whether ADHD is a concern.