First Long-term Study on Ritalin and Preschoolers

The first long-term study of Ritalin's effects on preschoolers has been completed, and the results are mixed. While some children showed signs of improvement, nearly 40% developed side effects. Another 11% dropped out of the study because of problems like irritability and weight loss.

"Preschoolers on...generic Ritalin grew about half an inch less and gained about 2 pounds less than expected during the 70-week study."

Though the study began with 300 children, many families dropped out after seeing significant improvement during the behavior treatment phase. Others simply didn't want to put their children on drugs. Many critics of the study fear it's just a way for pharmaceutical companies to broaden their market share, and have urged parents to proceed with caution. Read more online.