Growth and sexual maturation during long-term treatment with risperidone.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the impact of risperidone on growth and sexual maturation.

METHOD

The pooled database of five studies included 700 children ages 5-15 years with disruptive behavior disorders. All evaluable patients had received risperidone for 11 or 12 months. Those evaluable for growth also had baseline and 11- or 12-month height measurements (N=350); girls >/=9 years and boys >/=10 years who were evaluable for sexual maturation also had baseline and 11- or 12-month Tanner staging (N=222).

RESULTS

Risperidone-treated children had a mean increase in height 1.2 cm greater than the reference population, and they experienced no delay in progression through Tanner staging. Transient increases in prolactin did not correlate with growth or sexual maturation.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective analysis, there was no evidence of statistically or clinically significant growth failure or delay in pubertal onset or progression in children treated for up to 1 year with risperidone.