Studies Track Treatment Outcomes for Kids With ADHD

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The study's authors suggested that withdrawing the medication on a trial basis may help physicians determine if some children still need to take medications.

Another study by the same group suggested that taking medication for ADHD was associated with slowed growth. A group of 65 children who had never taken medication grew larger -- about three-quarters of an inch taller and six pounds heavier -- than a comparison group of 88 children who stayed on medication over the three years of follow-up.

A final article from the University of Pittsburgh reported that, despite treatment, children with ADHD showed higher-than-normal rates of delinquency than kids without ADHD (27.1 percent vs. 7.4 percent) and higher rates of substance abuse (17.4 percent vs. 7.8 percent) after three years.

Researchers will continue to follow the children to determine their outcomes in adolescence and adulthood.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about ADHD.