[Influence of the month of birth on the demand for healthcare to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Results of a retrospective study conducted in a neuropaediatric clinic].

INTRODUCTION: There is an increase in the child neurology attention and, specially in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It's been proposed that the birth date affects the diagnosis of ADHD, so the youngest children more susceptible of being diagnosed. AIMS: To analyse if there is a relationship between the birth date and the suspicion of ADHD, and to investigate the health demand of child neurology and its evolution regarding diagnostic categories. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients been attended in a child neurology clinic between 1992 and 2012. Different diagnostic groups were compared considering epidemiologic variables and trimester and semester of birth to determine whether exists a seasonal pattern.
RESULTS: 3469 patients were included, 58.5% were male with a median age of 6 years old. The first reason of consultation was the headache, and the ADHD has experienced an increase of 350% in the last 10 years of the study. 61.6% of patients with ADHD suspicion were born in the second semester of the year. The difference was higher for girls. This pattern was not observed in other neurologic diseases when a comparative analysis was done.
CONCLUSIONS: There is an increase of child neurologic demand within the last years, mainly of ADHD patients. Children born in the last semester of the year have a higher risk of being sent to a neurology clinic for evaluation.