Small burns among out-patient children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

There is a controversy about the association of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with burns among children. Whereas some studies of children with burns have suggested ADHD as a risk factor for thermal injury, others have reported it as protective against such injury. This case-control study was designed to assess the association of ADHD with burns. The case group consisted of 123 children with ADHD diagnosed by the standardised diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV. The comparison group comprised of 100 children without ADHD. Children and their carers were asked about the frequency of burns during the past year. A significant association was found between frequency of burn and group, but no such association was found with sibling number, rank of birth of the child or mother's occupation. The incidence of burns among children with ADHD was higher than among the control group.