Certain types of antipsychotic medication can cause children to put on weight—as much as 18 pounds—according to research appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Chrostoph Correll, MD, and associates observed 272 children aged 4 to 19 taking atypical antipsychotic medication for the first time. Drugs/Medications included olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperadol) and aripiprazole (Abilify)—drugs sometimes used to treat children with autism, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Children’s weights were monitored over a 12-week period. During the last two weeks of the study, nearly all experienced significant weight gain. Average gain was as follows: 18.7 pounds with onanzapine, 13.7 pounds with quetiapine, 11.7 pounds with risperidone, and 9.7 pounds with aripiprazole. Children in the control group gained less than half a pound (.44 pounds) on average.

“(E)ffects such as age-inappropriate weight gain, obesity, hypertension, and lipid and glucose abnormalities are particularly problematic during development because they predict adult obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular morbidity, and malignancy,” authors of the study write.

Doctors were so concerned over weight gain in children taking onanzapine that they stopped treatment before the study was completed. “Each antipsychotic was associated with significantly increased fat mass and waist circumference,” authors write. “Altogether, 10 percent to 36 percent of patients transitioned to overweight or obese status within 11 weeks.”

As more children—some younger than 5-years-old—are diagnosed with bipolar and “disruptive behavior” disorders (such as ADHD), there is also a rise in atypical antipsychotic prescriptions. These medications are generally effective for children with autism and schizophrenia, but they may not be the best treatment for other conditions.

The authors suggest seeking alternative treatments. They write that, in view of the negative health outcomes, the benefits of using these medications “must be balanced against their cardiometabolic risks”, and say the results suggest including in prescription guidelines closer monitoring during the early months of treatment.

They also plan on researching whether or not diet restrictions and additional medications for weight and glucose control will help balance the potential negative effects of the drugs.

A special vaccine court has ruled against three families who claimed that childhood vaccines caused their children’s autism. The judges in the Vaccine Court Omnibus Autism Proceedings concluded that the scientific evidence was overwhelmingly against the claim that vaccines can cause the developmental disorder.

The three families’ claims were seen as "test cases" for the more than 5,300 claims filed by parents claiming an association between early childhood vaccination and autism. The three families had claimed that the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine in combination with the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal that was formerly common in other childhood vaccines had cause their children’s autism symptoms. The court’s findings that the "that petitioners' theories of causation were speculative and unpersuasive" presumably deals a serious blow to the other pending cases. The court has yet to rule on three test cases in which the parents claim that thimerosal alone caused their child’s autism.

The proceedings were a part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program set up in 2001 by the National Institutes of Health. The program allows people who believe they have been injured by vaccines to seek compensation from a $2.5 billion fund built up from a 75-cent-per-dose tax on vaccines. The no-fault payout system is meant to protect vaccine makers from costly lawsuits that could drive many out of the vaccine-making business.

In order to win compensation, complainants need only to provide evidence that vaccines sometimes cause that particular condition or injury and that it is more likely than not that the vaccines caused their injury.

The causes of autism remain a mystery. Despite the fact that a group of parents continue to claim that vaccines caused their child’s autism, no scientific research has yet provided a conclusive link between the two, and several large-scale studies provide strong evidence against such a link. Symptoms of autism tend to appear in early childhood, around the same time that vaccinations are given. Childhood vaccines are associated with some serious side effects including seizures and coma, but the risk of such events is incredibly low, far lower than the chance that an unvaccinated child will die of the disease their parents did not vaccinate them against.

If you have more questions about autism or you want to connect with other parents of autistic children, join the Healia Health Community for Autism. For more information on childhood vaccinations, including links to the CDC’s current immunization schedule, see the Healia Health Guide on Child Vaccines.

Photo: stevendepolo, Flickr, Creative Commons

A new study has shown that a common childhood vaccine, the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, does not cause autism or gastrointestinal disorders. A previous study ten years ago had suggested that the measles vaccine was associated with gastrointestinal problems in children and that those problems subsequently resulted in autism.

According to one of the study leaders, "There was no evidence . . . MMR preceded either autism or GI problems.”

The study was published in the Public Library of Science One journal. The exact cause or causes of autism are unknown and continue to be the subject of intense research. Have a question about autism? Ask a peer or health professional at the Autism Community at Healia Communities.

Public health experts are uncertain whether the higher prevalence of autism observed in recent years is a result of an actual increase in the number of autistic children or an increase in the ability to diagnose the condition. In February 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the prevalence of autism was 1 in every 150 American children and almost 1 in 94 boys.

Although children do not outgrow autism, studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. Here are some possible signs of autism in children to be aware of:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects

April is National Autism Awareness Month. If you are looking for information about autism, visit healia.com and type in autism. Do you have a question about autism you’d like to ask an expert? Visit Healia Communities to ask questions and connect with others in the Autism Community.

autism children National Autism Awareness Month