The Dangers Of Medicating Children For Behavioral Disorders
The Dangers Of Medicating
Children With Behavioral Disorders
Developmental and behavioral issues in children are being reported in epidemic numbers and
those numbers are growing. One in six children are diagnosed with a developmental or behavioral disorder. Parents are left with difficult decisions to make. Should they seek psychiatric help for their child? Should they allow their children to be placed on medication for the disorder? The disturbing part is that most parents are not prepared for issues such as these, so they usually just do what the doctors suggest for them to do. More parents need to be better educated on the types of medications that are being prescribed to their children, and the dangers that those medications may pose to the child's short and long-term health.
The medical community remains unclear about the best way to diagnose and treat the symptoms of many of the behavioral disorders that children are diagnosed with today. Many believe that medicating the children is the best solution, but how much do parents actually know about these drugs that are used for such disorders? There are several major categories of psychotropic medications: stimulants, antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents, anti-psychotics, and mood stabilizers.
The world market for drugs to treat mental, emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents is estimated at $13.4 billion in 2005 and is expected to rise at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 7.2% to $19 billion in 2010. Shalini Shahani (September 2005)
Medicating Children 3
There are six stimulant medications such as Adderall (an amphetamine-dextroamphetamine combination), Concerta (methylphenidate), Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Dextrostat (dextroamphetamine), Ritalin (methylphenidate), and Cylert (pemoline), [which was...
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