Methylphenidate plus iron shows earlier response in children with severe ADHD and iron deficiency

A randomized controlled trial conducted at a single center in Bangladesh enrolled 50 children with severe ADHD and iron deficiency. Participants were assigned to receive either methylphenidate plus iron (combined therapy) or methylphenidate alone for 3 months. The primary outcome was not specified in the abstract.

The combined therapy group showed earlier treatment response, with a mean time of 13.4 days compared to 18.5 days in the methylphenidate-alone group. As serum ferritin concentrations increased, the severity of ADHD index T scores decreased, with statistically significant improvements at both 1 month (p=0.047) and 3 months (p=0.026). Hematological parameters including serum ferritin improved from baseline in the combination group.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported in the abstract. Key limitations include the small sample size, single-center design, and lack of detailed methodology. The abstract does not report effect sizes, confidence intervals, or whether p-values represent between-group or within-group comparisons. The specific primary outcome measure was not declared.

For clinical practice, these findings suggest iron supplementation alongside methylphenidate may be associated with earlier symptom improvement in children with ADHD and documented iron deficiency. However, the evidence comes from a limited abstract report without safety data or full methodological details. Clinicians should await peer-reviewed publication of the complete study before drawing firm conclusions.