兴奋剂特技吗？
多年来,有很多问题over the possibility that Methylphenidate (brand name: Ritalin) might cause growth suppression in children with ADHD who are treated with the medication. A number of studies have been done, with most supporting the idea that if there is a slowing of growth, the side effect disappears within a few years, with the child
reaching his normal potential height.
Yet, in the August 2007issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, lead researcher James Swanson, Ph.D., director of the Child Development Center at the University of California, Irvine reported that after three years on the ADHD drug Ritalin, children were about an inch shorter and 4.4 pounds lighter than their peers. The children studied (in 1999) were ages 7 to 9 at the time and were followed for three years; however the results of the 10 year follow up- when the children reach adult height- won't be available for another two years. Thus, it is unknown yet whether the growth loss is permanent or not.
Unlike earlier studieswhich showed that children had growth spurts to make up for the slow down earlier on, this study did not support that. In addition, it was thought that having ADHD in and of itself stunted kids' growth, but this study found that kids with ADHD who do not take stimulant medications are actually much larger than kids without ADHD and that they- those with untreated ADHD- seem to grow faster than those taking stimulants.
According to Dr. Swanson,在这种特殊研究之前服用兴奋剂的儿童比那些尚未开始兴奋剂治疗的孩子。那些第一次在研究开始时进行治疗的人都具有正常的大小和体重，但与他人相比，随着研究的继续，他们的增长率减缓了。
After three yearsof taking immediate release Ritalin three times a day, the growth suppression seemed to slow down, as did the effect of the medication, interestingly enough.
It should be notedthat in this study, only立即释放使用了利他林的形式。
2006年，奥马尔·克万亚，M.D.，Ph.D，波士顿儿童医院的神经科医生，分析了对各种ADHD药物的研究，发现生长抑制证据。他的研究结果与斯旺森博士相似。
再次，自研究以来were short term, it is still unknown whether the children regain their loss in height while taking short acting Ritalin.
Yet, a newer study,reported by Robert Findling, M.D, at the May 8, 2008 poster session at the 161st Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Associations (APA) revealed a very different finding. Dr. Findling, Director, Division of Adolescent and Child Psychiatry, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, and Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio found that the children in his studydemonstrated normal growth in height and weightbut not in BMI. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
在这种情况下，Findling博士和同事博士对甲基酚（MPH）透皮系统的长期开放标签安全性分析，提供了可持续释放药物的聚合物贴剂（Daytrana）。该蛋白在6至12岁的儿童中使用，并以前用贴剂或MPH延长释放（ER）片剂或以前的试验中的安慰剂治疗。
孩子已经收到了优化剂量的Daytrana继续这剂量一年;那些未接受优化剂量的人将它们的用量增加了四周，直到它们达到最佳剂量，然后后续11个月。
327 childrenwere accepted into the study and of that number all but one were treated. It was found that after one month of treatment, researchers observed a decrease in weight in those who were taking the lower dose of MPH (10 mg and 15 mg). After about month five, 327 children began to approach baseline weight; only one child was below the lower limit of normal.
Overall, the childrendemonstrated normal growth in height and weight but not in BMI. At the end of the one year study, the average gain in growth was 1.5 inches; an increase in weight of 3.5 pounds, but a decrease of 0.2 kg/m2
（0.4磅）为BMI。
斯旺森博士指出，“尽管在MPH补丁中的生长参数波动，但它们在12个月结束时似乎是最小的赤字。”
再一次,it's important to notethat though the two studies showed different outcomes- one using a short acting Methylphenidate; the other a long acting Methylphenidate patch, more studies are needed long term to assess the final growth outcome in children treated for ADHD.
SOURCES: Swanson, J.M. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, August 2007; vol 46: pp 1014-1026.
Effects of Methylphenidate Transdermal System (MTS) on Growth in Children With ADHD. NR6-027: Presented at APA, May 2008
