Children's school performance is not impaired by short-term administration of diphenhydramine or loratadine.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a second-generation H1 antihistamine produces less sedation in children and permits greater learning in a school setting than a classic antihistamine. Sixty-three 8- to 10-year-old children who had histories of seasonal allergic rhinitis but had no symptoms at the time of the study were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: placebo, diphenhydramine, or loratadine. Medications were administered on 3 of 4 study days, twice 6 hours apart, while participants attended a laboratory school. Classroom testing at the end of each school day evaluated the children's retention of curriculum material. Potential sedative effects were additionally evaluated by self-report of somnolence and computerized reaction-time testing. No treatment-related differences emerged on the verbal instruction score, reading test score, reaction time, or somnolence scale. Learning and response time in children attending a laboratory school were not significantly affected by either antihistamine.