New studies show that Ritalin may stunt growth in children who take the medication for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) over an extended period of time.
Research shows that kids who were on the drug for three or more years are about an inch shorter and 4.4 pounds lighter than children who were not taking Ritalin.
The Study
The study analyzed the height and body weight of children entered into the study in 1999 from ages seven to nine.
“Yes, there is a growth-suppression effect with stimulant ADHD medications,” explains James Swanson, Ph.D. director of the Child Development Center at the University of California, Irvine.
Less than a decade ago, a National Institute of health panel claimed that there were no real risks associated with Ritalin.
However, Swanson says that children who took the drug before the study was conducted were far smaller than those who hadn’t started the treatment yet.
Neurologist at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, Omar Khwaja, M.D., conducted a similar study last year and came to the same conclusions as Swanson.
Will Future Growth be Affected?
“The big question now is whether there is any effect on these kids’ ultimate height,” says Swanson. “We don’t know if by the time they are 18 they will regain the height.”
(Source: CBS News)
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