Oseltamivir for Flu Tied to Reduced Risk for Serious Neuropsychiatric Events in Children

Follow Drugslib on

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 7, 2025.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2025 -- Oseltamivir treatment during influenza episodes is associated with a reduced risk for serious neuropsychiatric events among children and teens, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in JAMA Neurology.

James W. Antoon, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study during the 2016 to 2017 and 2019 to 2020 influenza seasons to examine the association between influenza, oseltamivir, and serious neuropsychiatric events. Children aged 5 to 17 years enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid were eligible for inclusion (692,975 children).

The researchers found that during 19,688,320 person-weeks of follow-up, there were 1,230 serious neuropsychiatric events (898 neurologic and 332 psychiatric) in 692,295 children. Overall, 66.7 percent of the 151,401 influenza episodes were dispensed oseltamivir (60.1 percent among those at high risk for influenza complications). Mood disorders and suicidal or self-harm behaviors were the most common events overall (36.3 and 34.2 percent, respectively). Event rates were lower during oseltamivir-treated influenza periods and posttreatment periods compared with untreated influenza (incidence rate ratios, 0.53 and 0.42, respectively). This finding was driven more by a reduction in neurologic events than psychiatric events (incidence rate ratios, 0.45 and 0.80, respectively). Misclassification or unmeasured confounding would not explain these findings.

“Our findings demonstrated what many pediatricians have long suspected, that the flu, not the flu treatment, is associated with neuropsychiatric events,” Antoon said in a statement. “In fact, oseltamivir treatment seems to prevent neuropsychiatric events rather than cause them.”

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-08-08 06:00

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords