Low doses of the drug Ritalin are effective in treating the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in preschool-age children, but young children are especially sensitive to the drug’s side effects and should be closely monitored, says a report published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Ritalin is the most commonly prescribed drug to treat children with ADHD, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, which paid for the study. However, the federal Food and Drug Administration has not approved its use for children under the age of 6.
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