Antipsychotic in children and adolescents: Metabolic effects

Abstract

Introduction

The use of antipsychotics in children is controversial, one of the considerations to take into account is the possible effect on the values of fasting glucose, prolactin or weight gain are very important.

Objectives

To study the effect of these drugs on metabolic rate in children.

Methods

We measured the weight, waist circumference, fasting glucose and basal prolactin in 6 children at Children's Hospital in the province of Huelva, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and early schizophrenia, atypical antipsychotics before starting treatment and 6 months later.

Results

In the provisional results it is found that a there is not a significant weight gain (less than 3%), no impairment of glucose and only in one case basal prolactin was elevated.

Conclusions

The use of atypical antipsychotics in children should be reserved when strictly necessary. Once established, keep tight control of metabolic parameters, although the data of our study coincide with the literature, do not produce significant alterations.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.