SATURDAY NOV 17, 2007 (Foodconsumer.org) -- Researchers have now found that treating children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with drugs is not effective in the long-term.
New research showed after three years of treatment, drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta did not work better than behavioral therapy.
Even worse, long-term use of the ADHD drugs can stunt children's growth among other side effects.
One study reported in 1999 showed medications are more effective than behavioral therapy for ADHD for a period of one year. The study booted sales of the drugs.
Professor William Pelham of the University of Buffalo, who studied the long term effects of the ADHD drugs, said in his report, "I think that we exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study."
"We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn't happen to be the case. There's no indication that medication's better than nothing in the long run."
Dr Pelham said ADHD drugs had "no beneficial effects" and in fact they caused negative impact on children's growth.
Source:
BBC News November 12, 2007
