The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Adderall XR (an extended-release formulation of mixed salts of amphetamine) as a once-daily treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescents 13 to 17 years old. That action bridges an "indication gap" between earlier approval of the product for patients 6 to 12 years old and for older (18 years) adolescents and adults.
Q Parents of a 4 1/2-year-old boy in my practice are concerned because he takes too many risks. They report that he always seems to be doing something dangerous, which often results in injury.
At pediatricians' disposal today are numerous formulations of approved medications for ADHD--traditional psychostimulants and newer agents. We also have developed an appreciation of the value of a multipronged approach to this chronic disorder.
Step-by-step evaluation of an adolescent girl who may have ADHD highlights the strengths and limitations of the AAP diagnostic guidelines and offers insight into how to augment them.
Diagnosing and treating a child?s ADHD is often not enough. Most patients have coexisting developmental or psychiatric disorders that must be addressed.
Pediatric Puzzler: Weakness (thyrotoxic periodic paralysis)
The prognosis for teenagers with ADHD is better than ever, thanks to more effective therapies and greater understanding of how the disorder manifests itself in adolescence.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder doesn&t disappear in teens. But it does look different, and failure to recognize and treat it can have a devastating impact.
Parents of children with ADHD need assistance adapting to their child's condition, enhancing his or her achievement and self-esteem, and getting the special help the youngster needs and deserves. These books, videos, and Web sites point the way.
Parents increasingly are turning to alternative therapies to manage their child's ADHD. This review of the pharmacology an toxicology of the most popular herbs and dietary supplements for treating ADHD and what the literature shows about their efficacy should help you advise parents.
The manifestations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescence can be subtle. Pediatricians need to know how to identify teens with the disorder and provide treatment that meets their developmental needs.
