Minor physical anomalies in hyperactive, retarded and normal children and their families.

HYPERACTIVITY is a term currently employed to describe a heterogeneous group of children who exhibit overactivity, irritability, impulsivity and attentional deficits. The recent interest in this syndrome results from the difficulty that these children experience in adjusting to the expectations of their environment, at home, in school with their peer group, and the possible higher risk of emotional problems, alcoholism and interpersonal problems in later life (Morrison and Stewart, 1971, 1973a). Several etiological explanations including pre-natal or birth trauma, neurodevelopmental lag, psychogenic factors and genetic transmission, have been proposed, but the heterogeneous nature of the syndrome has led many investigators to suggest that a single etiological theory is insufficient to encompass the various combinations of behavioral indices observed in these children (Wender, 1971; Douglas, 1974). Recent attempts to delineate etiological factors in the hyperactive syndrome have led to the study of minor physical anomalies (MPA) and the presence of a high number of MPA in hyperactive children has been well documented (Firestone et al., 1976; Rapoport and Quinn, 1975; Waldrop and Halverson, 1971; Waldrop et al., 1968). These so-called MPA are such things as malformed ears, enlarged head circumference, hypertelorism, etc. which are often found in Down's Syndrome but without concomitant major morphological aberrations are themselves of little