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Antipsychotic safety Children & teens

Baseline tests before a child starts an antipsychotic

Before a child starts an antipsychotic, baseline blood tests and measurements should be taken.

99% of the time this step is missed

Across de-identified U.S. psychiatric records, we found this step was missed about 99% of the time it should have happened.

This page is here to help you know what to ask about. It is not medical advice, and you should never start, stop, or change a medication on your own. Bring these questions to a doctor who knows you.

Questions to ask your doctor

Copy a line and ask it at your next visit. These are questions to start a conversation, not instructions to change your treatment.

  • Before my child starts this antipsychotic, what baseline tests will be done?
  • How will weight and blood sugar be monitored going forward?

This page is information, not medical advice. It describes care patterns across many people and can't speak to your own situation. Bring these questions to a clinician who knows you.

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