Effects of osmotic-release methylphenidate on height and weight in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) following up to four years of treatment

• Published in: Journal of child neurology Vol. 27; no. 5; p. 604
• Main Authors: Durá-Travé, Teodoro, Yoldi-Petri, María Eugenia, Gallinas-Victoriano, Fidel, Zardoya-Santos, Patricia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2012
• Subjects: Anthropometry; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - physiopathology; Body Height - drug effects; Body Mass Index; Body Weight - drug effects; Central Nervous System Stimulants - adverse effects; Child; Developmental Disabilities - chemically induced; Drug Delivery Systems; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Methylphenidate - adverse effects; Nutritional Status - drug effects; Retrospective Studies; Spain; Time Factors; Spain
• ISSN: 1708-8283
• DOI: 10.1177/0883073811422752

There is some controversy concerning \the potential negative influence of methylphenidate on growth. The authors reviewed clinical records of 187 patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder under treatment with methylphenidate. The patients' weight, height, and body mass index were measured at diagnosis and during 4 years of follow-up. The dose of methylphenidate was gradually increased up to 1.31 ± 0.2 mg/kg/d. At diagnosis, mean weight value was lower than mean weight expected for age by 0.697 kg. This difference increased to 4.274 kg (at 30 months of treatment), although it subsequently decreased to 1.588 kg (at 48 months of treatment). Mean value of height was lower than expected mean height for age by 0.42 cm at diagnosis. This difference increased to 2.69 cm (at 30 months of treatment), but it subsequently decreased to 0.83 cm (at 48 months of treatment). The relationship between nutritional status and the negative effects on the height curve in those patients would require nutritional optimization to return anthropometric variables to normal.