Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medication Prescription Claims Among Reproductive-Aged Women with Private Employer-Sponsored Insurance — United States, 2003–2015
- The number of privately insured U.S. women ages 15-44 years who filled a prescription for a medicine to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased 344 percent between 2003 and 2015.
- Even higher increases were reported for women in their late 20s and early 30s. For those ages 25-29 years, the number of women who filled a prescription for an ADHD medicine increased by 700 percent. The second largest increase was among women ages 30-34: a 560 percent increase.
- Little information is available about the safety of taking ADHD medicine during pregnancy. More research is needed so women with ADHD and their health care providers can weigh the risks and benefits of ADHD treatment options during pregnancy.
“Half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and women may be taking prescription medicine early in pregnancy before they know they are pregnant. Early pregnancy is a critical time for the developing baby. We need to better understand the safest ways to treat ADHD before and during pregnancy.”
– Kayla Anderson, PhD, MA, EIS Class of 2016
![adhd Kayla Anderson, PhD, MA, EIS Class of 2016, leads a training in Bogota, Colombia of 40 pediatric nurses and public health professionals on early childhood development and how to screen for developmental milestones.](./ADHD-among-Reproductive-Aged-Women_html_files/adha.png)
Kayla Anderson, PhD, MA, EIS Class of 2016, leads a training in Bogota, Colombia of 40 pediatric nurses and public health professionals on early childhood development and how to screen for developmental milestones.
CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
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![Anderson,-Kayla250x250 Kayla Anderson](./ADHD-among-Reproductive-Aged-Women_html_files/Anderson-Kayla250x250.png)
Kayla Anderson, PhD, MA, EIS Class of 2016
CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Education: PhD: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 2016; MA: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities,2013; BS: Purdue University, 2010
Work Experience: Research Assistant, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, 2011- 2015; Instructor of Record, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, 2014- 2014; Teaching Assistant, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, MN, 2011-2014
Volunteer Experience: Department Service Volunteer, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 2011-Present; Conference Reviewer, (2013 – Present)
- Treating for Two: A Growing Number of Reproductive-Aged Women are Filling Prescriptions for ADHD Medicine
- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) – Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medication Prescription Claims Among Privately Insured Women Aged 15–44 Years — United States, 2003–2015
- CDC’s ADHD Website