The side effects of stimulant drugs, like those used to treat ADHD are usually insignificant, but are important to monitor for children with ADHD and certain heart conditions. Children diagnosed with ADHD should receive an electrocardiogram to rule out heart abnormalities before beginning treatment with stimulant drugs. Children currently taking stimulant drugs who did not have an ECG prior to treatment should get an ECG, according to a newly issued statement “Cardiovascular Monitoring of Children and Adolescents with Heart Disease Receiving Stimulant Drugs.”