Poulton 2003.
Methods | A retrospective cohort study of growth data | |
Participants | Number of participants screened: not stated Number of participants included: 19 Number of participants followed up: 6 months: 19, 18 months: 13, 30 months: 6, 42 months: 4 Number of withdrawals: 6 months: 0, 18 months: 6, 30 months: 13, 42 months: 15 Diagnosis of ADHD: DSM‐IV (subtype: not stated) Age: range 3.1‐11.4 years old IQ: > 70 Sex: 17 males, 2 females Methylphenidate‐naïve: 100% Ethnicity: not stated Country: Australia Comorbidity: not stated Comedication: clonidine Sociodemographics: not stated Inclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria
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Interventions | Methylphenidate type: not stated Methylphenidate dosage: 10‐40 mg/day Mean methylphenidate dosage: 1.0 (SD 0.24) mg/kg per day, median 27.5 mg Administration schedule: not stated Duration of intervention: 6‐42 months Treatment compliance: many patients were taking less than the prescribed dose of stimulant medication, ceasing or reducing medication at weekends or during school holidays, but precise details were not available |
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Outcomes |
Non‐serious adverse events:
Both measures without shoes and outdoor clothing |
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Notes | Sample calculation: no
Ethics approval: no
Funding/vested interest: none Key conclusions of the study authors: stimulant medication is associated with a decrease in height and weight SD scores during the first 6‐30 months with a characteristic pattern on the growth chart Comments from the study authors: all children were started on dexamphetamine initially but were changed on to methylphenidate if the response was suboptimal or they experienced adverse effects. When weight loss occurred the parents were asked to reduce or omit the medication whenever possible and to encourage the child to eat more Exclusion of methylphenidate non‐responders/children who have previously experienced adverse events on methylphenidate: no Supplemental information regarding data received through personal email correspondence with the authors in November 2013 (Poulton 2013 [pers comm]) |