# Arrange your child's growth checks

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/monitor-child-growth-on-medication/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 17 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#monitor-child-growth-on-medication

Regular height, weight and appetite checks let the prescriber notice growth changes during medication treatment.

**The number:** Measure children's height every 6 months ([NICE, 2019](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Guideline advice, not formally graded. Measured in people with ADHD.
- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- Basis: NICE NG87 1.8.5 growth monitoring recommendation (committee consensus), NHS medicine guidance and AAP adverse-effect discussion
- Outcome: height monitoring interval for children taking ADHD medication
- Comparison: NICE NG87 recommendation 1.8.5
- Benefit: 74/100. The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.

## Why it matters

Some ADHD medicines can reduce appetite and affect growth, so the trend on the chart matters as well as how your child feels. NICE recommends measuring height every 6 months and plotting height and weight on a growth chart. Weight is checked more often in children 10 and under and early in treatment, so ask for your child's own schedule rather than assuming all checks are twice yearly.

## How to do it

1. Ask the prescriber who will measure your child's height and weight and plot them.
2. Confirm the schedule for weight checks, including the more frequent ones for younger children.
3. Tell the clinician about changes in appetite or any worries about growth.
4. Bring any measurements you already have and ask what the trend means.

## Talk to a clinician first

A clinician should read the growth chart and decide how treatment responds to it. Raise appetite or growth worries without changing the medication yourself.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Think of any change in your child's appetite that you want to report.
- 5 minutes: Check when height and weight were last measured, and book the next appointment if it's due.
- 15 minutes: Gather the measurements you have and write your questions about appetite or growth for the review.

### What it looks like

- Ask whether the latest measurements have gone onto your child's growth chart.
- Tell the clinic about appetite changes even when school says things are going well.

### Common mistakes

- One weight on one day says little about growth. Ask to see the trend.
- A height check does not cover the more frequent weight checks some children need. Confirm both dates.

### A structured start

**Follow the growth trend**

1. Confirm the measurement schedule with the prescriber.
2. Bring measurements and appetite concerns to review.
3. Ask the clinician to explain the growth chart and next steps.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Common questions about methylphenidate for children](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/methylphenidate-children/common-questions-about-methylphenidate-for-children/), NHS
- [Tips for Talking With a Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/tips-for-talking-with-your-health-care-provider), NIMH

## Sources

- [Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87), recommendations](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations), NICE, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Common questions about methylphenidate for children](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/methylphenidate-children/common-questions-about-methylphenidate-for-children/), NHS, 2025 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of ADHD in Children and Adolescents](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7067282/), American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)

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General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.

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Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/