Current Controversies and Supplemental Reading

Newborn screening

Newborn screening for rare diseases where early treatment can save the life of the child or preserve normal mental function is not controversial. But in the last 10 years technology has made it easy to screen for a large number of conditions. Broad newborn screening is controversial. Are we screening newborns for too many diseases because it is easy, resulting in human and financial costs without significantly improving outcomes?

• Expanding newborn screening: process, policy, and priorities
• Ethics, evidence, and cost in newborn screening
• Teaching information mastery: the case of Baby Jeff and the importance of Bayes' theorem

Ritalin and EKG

Although there is no evidence that clearly links stimulant medications with sudden cardiac death, anecdotal reports have generated concern about the correlation of stimulant medication and sudden cardiac death. In 2008, the American Heart Association came out with a very controversial recommendation to get EKGs on all children before starting these medications. The American Pediatric Association followed with a statement that argued this could do more harm than good and recommended obtaining a complete history and physical exam instead. (AHA, APA reports)

• Cardiovascular monitoring of children and adolescents with heart disease receiving medications for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• Cardiovascular monitoring and stimulant drugs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderr