I am having a hard time finding a pediatrician that is both experienced with Spina Bifida and now more importantly ADD. My 6 year old daughter is on a healthy diet and we avoid foods that are bad for ADD kids. She tried Focalin for a while and it worked really well but she developed a really bad stutter after a while even on the absolute lowest dose. So we switched her to Stratera which takes a long time to build up and it is messing with her blood pressure, giving her fevers and nausea. I need to find a doctor in Ventura County, Ca. that can help and then alternatives to what we tried.

You may try to look in the directories provided here. (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33989) There are several for the US.

I think that asking advice for a child who has a neural tube defect is really beyond our range here.

People with spinal cord issues, as you likely know, can get into nervous system issues that wouldn't be a problem for others. High blood pressure makes me think of kidney issues.

It looks like spina bifida can cause hydrocephalus (fluid pressure on the brain) which affects alertness, and they also can have LDs. Too much to sort out besides ADD.

It's way beyond the scope of this board, i think. The child likely needs to see a pediatric subspecialist to answer your questions.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/1****_1224.asp


Could a Pediatric Neurologist help? Maybe. Talk to your Doctor.