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By Lucy Williams, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Methylphenidate, or Ritalin, is not FDA-approved for children younger than 6 -- but it may be a safe and effective treatment for your hyperactive preschooler.
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It is the most commonly used drug to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, but Ritalin must be used off-label for preschoolers. A new study reveals doses as low as 3 milligrams to 4 milligrams of Ritalin per day could be beneficial for very young children with ADHD.
"We look for children with ADHD symptoms that go across almost all settings -- school, playground and home -- that are getting them in trouble," study leader Laurence Greenhill, M.D., of Columbia University in New York, told Ivanhoe. "Those are the children I would target for intervention."
In the study, 303 children ages 3 to 5 received daily doses of Ritalin between 3.75 milligrams and 22.5 milligrams. In comparison, older children are generally administered doses between 15 milligrams and 50 milligrams. In the study, the average optimal dose was 14 milligrams. Researchers report children should initially receive lower doses of the drug to avoid side effects.
Children ages 3 to 5 may be more sensitive to Ritalin's side effects. Approximately 11 percent of participants dropped out of the study due to severe side effects. Short-term side effects include weight loss, anxiety, skin picking, mood disturbances and insomnia. In the long term, children taking methylphenidate experience slightly slower physical growth rates.
Untreated ADHD can delay a child's academic progress and emotional development.
Dr. Greenhill said even though methylphenidate is not FDA-approved for preschoolers, doctors should be aware of its potential to benefits for young children with ADHD. "I hope our information can go into the prescribing information so clinicians who decide to treat their patients know about our findings," he said.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Laurence Greenhill, M.D., of Columbia University; Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, published online Oct. 23, 2006
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