July 30, 2008–When the American Heart Association recommended in April that all 2.5 million children taking stimulant drugs for ADHD should have an electrocardiogram (ECG) to screen for hidden heart problems (because a small number of these children die from abnormal heart rhythms), it came as an unpleasant surprise for parents.
It also was an unpleasant surprise for the American Academy of Pediatrics, which got the news just a few hours before the recommendation went public. So, a few weeks later, the pediatricians released their own recommendation: No ECGs.
