Kids and Brain Drugs !

[Chemar]

Physician's First Watch for September 14, 2006

David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief

Children Often Treated Inappropriately with Psychotropic Drugs

 

Children with mental health and behavioral problems too often receive only psychotropic drugs despite the effectiveness and lower risk of psychosocial treatments, an American Psychological Association panel concludes.

 

"Current funding and administrative mechanisms often encourage the use of medication or non-evidence-based psychosocial treatments over empirically based psychosocial treatments," their report says.

 

In the face of a fivefold increase in the use of antipsychotics among young people over the past decade, the panel evaluated treatments for the principal mental health disorders.

 

In discussing ADHD, for example, the panel's report cautions that despite evidence for the efficacy of drugs in the short term, "there is growing concern that growth suppression ... will reliably accompany long-term use."

 

For anxiety disorders, the report says cognitive-behavioral therapy is strongly favored as the first-line treatment, in part because of concerns over drug safety.

 

Among the panel's conclusions: "Given the potential harm of psychotropic drugs ... [practitioners should be encouraged] to treat youth with drugs only when necessary and then only with the lowest dose of the fewest medications for the shortest possible time period."

 

 

 

also

http://www.apa.org/releases/children_meds.html

[kim]

From the 2nd link Chemar posted:

 

http://www.apa.org/releases/children_meds.html

 

Research published earlier this year showed a five-fold increase in the use of antipsychotic drugs to treat behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents from 1993 to 2002.

 

Interesting that the Hib vaccine (3-4) doses from ages of 2 mos. through 15 mos. was first recommended for infants in 1988 and Hep B (3 doses) birth dose + 2 more, recommended for all newborn infants in 1991.

6 additional vaccines during the time period shortly preceeding this explosion of antipsychotic drug use.

 

http://www.909shot.com/Timeline/timeline.htm

 

1988 Hib added to schedule

 

1988 Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Funded

 

1990 conjugate Hib vaccine licensed

 

1991 recombinant Hepatitis B recommended for all newborn infants and children