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Study Links ADHD Medications to Small but Significant Risk of Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder
A recent study of nearly 400,000 patients found that people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who take stimulants face a small but notable risk of developing psychosis or bipolar disorder. About 3% of patients developed one of these conditions after starting medication.
The meta-analysis, published in JAMA Psychiatry, pooled results from 16 studies across North America, Europe, and Asia. It was the first-ever systematic analysis looking at both psychosis and bipolar disorder in relation to ADHD medications. The study reviewed both amphetamines and methylphenidate, two common stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD. Amphetamines were associated with roughly 60% higher odds of developing psychotic symptoms compared with methylphenidate.
On average, stimulant treatment was linked with psychotic symptoms in 3% of patients and bipolar disorder in 4%. Another meta-analysis found that children with ADHD have nearly a fivefold risk of developing psychosis later in life compared with the general population. They also have a higher risk of bipolar disorder. At the brain chemistry level, ADHD, psychosis, and bipolar disorder all involve disruptions in the same neurotransmitter — dopamine. Stimulants increase dopamine levels, which is also associated with psychosis and bipolar risk.
Off-Label Drug Helps One Boy With Autism Speak, Parents Say. But Experts Want More Data.
Caroline Connor’s concerns about her son’s development began around his 1st birthday, when she noticed he wasn’t talking or using any words. Their pediatrician didn’t seem worried, but the speech delay persisted. At 2½, Mason was diagnosed with autism. The Connors went on a mission, searching for anything that would help. “We just started researching on our own. And that’s when my husband Joe came across Dr. Frye in a research study he was doing,” Caroline said.
Richard Frye, a pediatric neurologist, is one of many doctors searching for treatments that can help kids with autism. He’s studying leucovorin, an inexpensive, generic drug derived from folic acid, also known as folate or vitamin B9. Leucovorin is currently prescribed to ease the side effects of cancer chemotherapy. Pregnant women are prescribed multivitamins with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. The neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord. Leucovorin isn’t a cure for autism, but “it could really have a substantial impact on a very good percentage of children with autism,” Frye said.
This week, the Food and Drug Admininstration (FDA) began the process of approving leucovorin as a treatment for autism, despite a lack of any large, phase 3 clinical trials. “We do have some good preliminary evidence that leucovorin helps,” Frye said. “But normally, the FDA would want to see at least a couple of large phase 3, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials. Right now, we only have phase 2B studies, and more research is needed to answer key questions, like how to dose it correctly, when to start, and which children will benefit most.”
Air Pollution Could Be Worsening Children’s Vision, Study Says
It’s well established that air pollution causes a wide variety of harms to the human body, raising the risk of heart disease, respiratory diseases and strokes. But new research has highlighted yet another damaging impact: to our vision. The research found that extended exposure to air pollutants, specifically nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter, could be contributing to high rates of myopia, also known as short- or nearsightedness, in schoolchildren in China.
The study, published Tuesday by PNAS Nexus, combined genetic, lifestyle and environmental data in a machine learning model and determined that while genetics remained the strongest driver of poor vision, children in regions with poor air quality tended to have worse vision, while better air quality was associated with better vision.
“We showed that air pollution contributes to myopia development in children. What this means is that if their exposure to air pollution is high, the risk to become shortsighted is higher,” said Zongbo Shi, one of the lead authors and a professor of atmospheric biogeochemistry at Britain’s University of Birmingham.
“There are factors that you cannot change,” Shi said. “But you can change habits. You can reduce air pollution so that would improve eyesight.” The research surveyed nearly 30,000 schoolchildren in Tianjin, China.
Baby Food Sold at Walgreens and Other Retailers in Ohio Recalled for Elevated Lead Levels
Baby food sold at Walgreens and other stores across the country was recalled due to potentially dangerous levels of lead.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a recall on Sept. 16 for baby food sold by Sprout Organics because “it may contain elevated levels of lead.” The recall was expanded on September 23 to more states after routine sampling.
As of September 23, the only recalled product was Sprout Organics Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach 3.5 ounce pouches of the following lots:
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- Lot Code 4212, Best by Oct292025
- Lot Code 4213, Best by Oct302025
- Lot Code 4282, Best by Dec042025
- Lot Code 4310, Best by Feb042026
The recalled product was sold in 28 states, including Ohio, at Walgreens, independent sellers, and online.
Instagram’s ‘Deliberate Design Choices’ Make It Unsafe for Teens Despite Meta Promises, Report Says
Despite years of congressional hearings, lawsuits, academic research, whistleblowers and testimony from parents and teenagers about the dangers of Instagram, Meta’s wildly popular app has failed to protect children from harm, with “woefully ineffective” safety measures, according to a new report from former employee and whistleblower Arturo Bejar and four nonprofit groups.
Meta’s efforts at addressing teen safety and mental health on its platforms have long been met with criticism that the changes don’t go far enough. Now, the report’s authors claim Meta has chosen not to take “real steps” to address safety concerns, “opting instead for splashy headlines about new tools for parents and Instagram Teen Accounts for underage users.”
The report Thursday came from Bejar and the Cybersecurity For Democracy at New York University and Northeastern University, as well as the Molly Rose Foundation, Fairplay and ParentsSOS. Meta said the report misrepresents its efforts on teen safety.
