   
Can Stimulants Stunt Growth?
Q:
Will a stimulant medication affect my child's growth? I cannot get a clear answer from my doctor. 
A:
This question was first studied in the 1980s. The conclusion was that stimulants had either no impact or minimal impact on growth. And, in cases of growth delays, the children caught up when stimulant medication was stopped. Recently, a group of researchers reviewed all of the published literature on stimulants and growth. They supported the conclusion that stimulants may cause a very small reduction in height and weight gain, but that growth rates increase once stimulants are stopped.
Larry Silver, M.D., is the author of Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on AD/HD and The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child's Learning Disabilities. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
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