The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antipsychotics and their effect on pubertal development have not been clarified. However, their use has increased in prepubertal children. In this study, the pharmacokinetics, efficacy and side effects of risperidone, which is the most commonly used second-generation antipsychotic in pre-adolescence, were reviewed. PubMed and Google Scholar were scanned using the key words “risperidone, prepubescent, pre-school, younger age”. Studies that did not discriminate for age range and those written in a language other than English or Turkish were excluded. Risperidone has a shorter half-life in prepuberty. It was observed that although risperidone has been approved only for autism, it has been frequently used off-label to treat irritability and aggression associated with developmental disorders, and despite its low evidence level, it was found effective and well tolerated. In most of the studies, prepubertal children were not evaluated separately. It is impossible to foresee the effects of risperidone on the progress of the developmental disorders and the long-term side effects, so the risk/benefit ratio should be well considered, especially for prepubertal off-label usage.

Keywords: risperidon, ergenlik öncesi, okul öncesi, küçük yaş.