Researchers from Children’s Hospital Boston analyzed 22 studies examining the growth rates of ADHD kids taking prescribed stimulants such as Ritalin. They found that reduced appetite, a side effect of the drugs, negatively impacted the children’s expected weight and height gains.
While the kids may overcome any limitations in height and weight after they go off the drugs in early adulthood, keep in mind that these drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamine, fall into the DEA’s Schedule II designation, i.e., substances controlled because of their dependency, physical/psychological effects or likelihood for abuse in usage (per Wikipedia). In addition, no one is certain how this weight and height reduction is affecting brain development in these children.
So… reducing the reliance on drugs for kids with ADHD may produce the best long-term result for them. You can search the Teplitz Report archives at http://www.teplitz.com/ezine.htm for alternatives to Ritalin.
