A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has revealed that lithium is safe and effective for treating bipolar disorder in children, UPI reports.

The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.  

A lack of significant research on the efficacy of lithium in treating bipolar disorder in children and teenagers has kept the drug from being widely used for the treatment.

"Lithium is the grandfather of all treatments for bipolar disorder, but it has never been rigorously studied in children," Dr. Robert Findling, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a press release.

Not only did the patients witness better progress by receiving the drug, but also experienced lesser side effects when treated with lithium.

For the study, the researchers worked with 81 patients between ages 7 and 17 who were being treated at nine medical centers. Out of the 81 patients, 53 patients were treated with a standard dose of lithium that was increased over time depending on the symptoms. The rest of the patients were treated with a placebo. 

The participants' reaction to treatment was measured using the Young Mania Rating Scale. The researchers also tracked side effects such as weight gain, which is usually expected with other standard forms of drug treatment for bipolar disorder.

With the treatment of lithium, patients' scores on the Young Mania Rating Scale dropped on an average six points more than those not receiving the drug. The patients who received lithium also fared better than those who received a placebo on the Clinical Global Impressions Scale.

Lithium was also found not to cause serious side effects in the participants who received it.