Authors

Kramer JR. Loney J. Ponto LB. Roberts MA. Grossman S.

 

Institution

Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.

john-kramer@uiowa.edu

 

Title

Predictors of adult height and weight in boys treated with methylphenidate for childhood behavior problems.

 

Source

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 39(4):517-24, 2000 Apr.

Local Messages

 

 

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between childhood treatment with

methylphenidate (MPH) and adult height and weight. METHOD: Subjects were 97

boys, aged 4 to 12 years, with behavior problems who were (1) referred to a

child psychiatry outpatient clinic, (2) treated clinically with MPH for an

average of 36 months, and (3) reevaluated between ages 21 and 23 years.

Hierarchical analyses predicted adult height and weight from sets of

non-medication and medication-related variables. RESULTS: Medicated subjects'

age, height, and parental socioeconomic status (SES) at referral predicted

44.8% of variation in adult height. Medicated subjects' birth weight, age,

height and weight at referral, and parental SES predicted 61.8% of variation

in adult weight. With these non-medication variables held constant, initial

nausea and vomiting side effects predicted 4.4% incremental variation in

adult height, and MPH maintenance dose predicted 3.2% incremental variation

in adult weight. CONCLUSIONS: Medicated individuals who had attained their

final stature did not differ in average height or weight from family,

community, or unmedicated controls. Most aspects of medication were not

associated with adult height or weight. In some individuals, nausea and

vomiting side effects and treatment with higher doses of MPH were associated

with adult growth decrements.