Effects of long-term psychostimulant medication on growth of children with ADHD.
Stimulants trim early weight but do not shrink final height, so keep prescribing while you watch the scale.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tracked height and weight of kids with ADHD who took stimulant medicine every day.
They checked growth before pills started and again after months of use.
No control group was used; each child served as his own baseline.
What they found
Kids lost a little weight during the first weeks on the drug.
Height gains slowed slightly, but the drop was too small to matter.
After a year the children were still growing on their normal curve.
How this fits with other research
Gulley et al. (2003) showed that good behavior plans can match methylphenidate for classroom problems. Their work lets you think beyond dose: you can treat behavior without raising the amount.
Fox et al. (2016) asked how many practice trials adults with ADHD need to learn a motor skill. Cutting trials kept speed and wiped out next-day loss. Together these papers shift focus from "how much drug" to "how little practice or drug still works.
Gu et al. (2013) looked at reaction-time shape in ADHD teens. They found slower, more variable responses. Eisenhower et al. (2006) add body size data, so you now have both brain and body metrics to watch.
Why it matters
You can calm parents who fear stimulants will stunt growth. Tell them early weight loss is common and height catches up. Pair this news with Veronica's finding: try behavior tricks first or alongside low dose. Then track both behavior and growth; you now know neither has to suffer.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The objective was to assess the effects of long-term psychostimulant medication on growth parameters in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Eighty-nine children diagnosed with ADHD treated by prescribed psychostimulant medications were followed with repeated growth measures over a 3 years duration. Anthropometric measurements were recorded at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Medical records were reviewed for demographic information, medication side effects and appetite suppression. Body mass index (BMI) and z-scores were determined at each follow up visit. Descriptive and analytical analyses by repeated measures analysis of varianc were performed. Significant weight loss was documented mostly during the first few months of treatment with stimulants. Although z-scores for weight showed significant changes over the 2 years of treatment, further analysis of the changes did not reach clinical significance. BMI growth was within normal limits throughout the duration of treatment. Baseline weight predicted weight loss for heavier children only. Pre-pubertal children were more subject to weight loss than children during puberty, as well as children for which appetite suppression was reported. No long-term impact on height was noted. Different stimulant medication did not differ in their effects on growth. Generally, parents and providers can be reassured that growth changes with long-term stimulant therapy are not clinically significant for a diverse group of children with ADHD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2006 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2004.12.004