Children’s hyperactivity can no longer be mainly blamed on too much sugar or bad parenting; a new study has identified certain genetic abnormalities to be the cause of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.

Scientists at Cardiff University in Wales found children with ADHD are more likely to have some missing or duplicated chromosomes.

Researchers compared the DNA of 366 children with ADHD to that of 1,047 children without the condition. Children with ADHD were more likely to have small segments of DNA that was either duplicated or missing.

“We hope that these findings will help overcome the stigma associated with ADHD,” study lead author and Professor Anita Thapar said.”Too often, people dismiss ADHD as being down to bad parenting or poor diet. As a clinician, it was clear to me that this was unlikely to be the case. Now we can say with confidence that ADHD is a genetic disease and that the brains of children with this condition develop differently to those of other children.”

The condition which affects approximately 2% or children worldwide makes them restless, impulsive, and easily distracted.

ADHD is incurable but can often be controlled with medication and therapy.