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A sizable number of school-aged children, more often boys, may have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Its cause is unknown. Some investigators implicate food additives or lead poisoning. These theories are not supported by study results, however. Physicians are dependent on reports of parents and teachers to diagnose ADHD, since the children may not show signs at an office visit. The presence of criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third revised edition, and descriptions by parents and teachers of significant and pervasive impairment at home or school are diagnostic. Treatment is essential to minimize the academic failure, rejection, and loss of self-esteem that can result from the behaviors that typify ADHD. Use of stimulant medication is the most effective intervention and should be continued as long as it provides benefits without adverse effects. Concomitant behavioral therapy may be useful, and the entire family may benefit from psychotherapy.

Snorers sleep through their obnoxiously loud breathing, but other members of their household often do not. Their bed partner and family members may grow so tired of the noise that they insist the offender seek medical attention. Physiologic problems such as obesity, narrowing of the airway, or inadequate oropharyngeal muscle tone often can be identified as the cause of snoring. Whenever possible, the underlying disorder should be treated.

Neonatal circumcision continues to be a controversial subject. The American Academy of Pediatrics has revised its earlier policy, stating that newborn circumcision has potential benefits as well as risks and emphasizing the need to explain these issues to parents considering the procedure so that an informed decision can be made. Compared with circumcised males, uncircumcised males are at greater risk for urinary tract infection, sexually transmitted disease, phimosis, paraphimosis, and balanoposthitis. Complications of circumcision include infection, hemorrhage, and meatal stenosis. Analgesia should be prescribed for the substantial pain associated with the procedure. Alternatives to circumcision include retraction of the foreskin with use of local or general anesthesia. Regular foreskin hygiene is important for all males, whether circumcised or not.

Febrile convulsions affect about 1 child in 30. Most of these children have a good outcome with no sequelae and do not require prophylactic medication. Differential diagnosis should include meningitis, epilepsy, hypoglycemia, and encephalopathies and other central nervous system disorders. Children with a high risk for recurrence of seizures may benefit from continuous anticonvulsant prophylaxis.

Hypertension is often unrecognized in infants and children. Primary care physicians need the equipment necessary to measure blood pressure in young patients and tables or graphs showing normal values for age and sex. Children should have a blood pressure measurement and preventive counseling at each yearly checkup. Significant hypertension should never be dismissed as a temporary problem but rather should be carefully investigated, treated, and followed up.

Bruxism is an oral habit that is usually due to psychological stress or occlusal discrepancy. It occurs more often in children than adults. Damage to the teeth caused by bruxism is irreversible. However, the underlying cause should be treated in order to avoid further dental and periodontal problems.

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome is the leading cause of acute renal failure in childhood. Its incidence in North America is increasing. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the most common infectious trigger and is spread by contaminated beef products as well as from person to person. Antibiotics or antidiarrheal medications should not be used in the treatment of E coli hemorrhagic colitis or hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Mortality in children with the syndrome has fallen to less than 10% in North America, largely because of careful attention to nutrition, maintenance of a normal fluid and electrolyte balance, and careful monitoring. Education and emotional support of the family are important aspects of the treatment program.

More effort should be invested in preventing obesity than is currently practiced, because prevention is much more successful than treatment, in either children or adults. Most obese children or adults. Most obese children have exogenous obesity, which is caused by increased caloric intake, reduced energy output, or overly efficient calorie utilization. These children are often tall for their age and have advanced bone age. Obesity in childhood is strongly associated with obesity in adulthood. The relationship between infantile obesity and obesity in childhood is less clear. Preventive measures in infants may include promotion of breastfeeding and delay in introduction of solid foods. Treatment in children includes abolition of junk foods and reduction in saturated fat in the diet and encouragement of regular physical exercise.

Acute diarrhea is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Primary care physicians and pediatricians should be familiar with its clinical features and management. Rehydration and maintenance of proper fluid and electrolyte balance are the most important aspects of treatment. While intravenous rehydration is the best form of treatment for children who are in shock or unable to drink, oral rehydration is the treatment of choice for the majority of children who have mild to moderate dehydration. Oral rehydration therapy is simple, practical, inexpensive, effective, and safe for children in developing as well as developed countries. We recommend the use of commercially available rather than homemade solutions. Antibiotic and antidiarrheal agents are usually not indicated. Early reintroduction of milk, formula, or solid food is important, as is instruction of parents in measures to minimize transmission of infectious agents.

Tic disorders are classified into three main categories: transient (duration more than 1 month but less than 1 year), chronic (duration more than 1 year), and Tourette's syndrome (multiple motor and vocal tics lasting more than 1 year to life). Typically, symptoms increase with emotional stress, diminish with distraction or concentration, and disappear during sleep. Because of the risks involved and the lack of any truly curative value, drug therapy should be used only when tics are seriously disabling. Haloperidol (Haldol), the most widely prescribed medication, is efficacious in about 80% of patients with Tourette's syndrome. Psychotherapy is not effective as a primary therapeutic strategy; it may, however, be indicated in selected cases to relieve the grief and frustration of parents and to help affected children deal with the disorder.

School phobia is a syndrome of childhood characterized by marked anxiety about attending school or by absence from school. In most cases, the underlying cause is separation anxiety. Somatic complaints may accompany the refusal to attend school. The physician should first help parents to return the child to school as soon as possible and then try to determine and alleviate the cause of the phobia. The prognosis is relatively good in preadolescent children and relatively poor in older children.