The stimulant known as Ritalin displays pluses and minuses in preschoolers receiving the drug for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to the first large, long-term study of the drug’s effects in such youngsters.
In many cases, low doses of the medication, methylphenidate, safely quelled 3-to-5-year-olds’ ADHD symptoms, the government-funded investigation revealed. However, preschoolers more often developed stimulant-related side effects, including irritability, insomnia, and weight loss, than older children with ADHD have in prior studies.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.