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Subscribe To Our Syndicated NewsStudy: Preschoolers More Prone To Ritalin Side Effects
–October 23, 2006
A new study has found that preschool age children are more prone to experience side effects of the popular attention-deficit disorder drug Ritalin than children age six and older.
Reports that the drug was being liberally prescribed to preschool age children prompted the study. Previous research suggested that as many as one in 100 preschool age children had been prescribed Ritalin, which is not approved for use in children age six and under.
"Proceed with caution"
According to the findings, Ritalin did provide some benefits to children with severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but because of the increased risk of side effects, its use should be closely monitored in preschoolers.
The study suggests that parents and doctors should "proceed with caution," said director of the National Institute of Health, Thomas Insel. "We're not talking about fidgety three-year-olds," he said.
The Research
Nearly 300 families participated in the study, which involved two and a half months of behavioral treatment and more than a year of drug treatment. Approximately 40 percent of the 165 children that started the drug phase experienced side effects and 11 percent stopped treatment as a result.
Side effects that led some of the children to drop out of the study included weight loss, slowed growth, irritability, and insomnia. The findings showed that the preschoolers on Ritalin grew and weighed less than expected.
"This is exactly the kind of information we need to help parents make informed decisions about treatment options for young children with ADHD," said Dr. David Fassler, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont.
What The Critics Say
Critics, however, are concerned about the implications of the new study. "I hope publication of this does not lead to more overprescribing. The safety isn't adequately established, the efficacy even less," said Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen.
New York psychiatrist Peter Breggin agreed, saying, "This is a catastrophe. It just opens up the way for drugging the younger kids."
Breggin said that the study is part of a drug industry marketing campaign intended to expand use of Ritalin and similar drugs to young children. Several of the researchers, including the study's lead author, have financial ties to ADHD drug manufacturers.
The study is published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry .
Injured by Ritalin or similar ADHD drug? Please contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and options.
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