Chemical cosh drugs 'given to children aged three' as prescriptions to treat hyperactivity soarNumber of Ritalin prescriptions leapt from 158,000 in 1999 to 661,463 in 2010
By Laura Clark
PUBLISHED: 02:25, 7 May 2012
UPDATED: 02:25, 7 May 2012
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Out of control? There is evidence that children under the age of six are taking the medication
Prescriptions for ‘chemical cosh’ drugs to treat hyperactivity have soared four-fold in a decade amid evidence that children as young as three are taking the medication.
The number of prescriptions for Ritalin leapt from 158,000 in 1999 to 661,463 in 2010, NHS figures have revealed.
Psychologists said they were seeing a sharp rise in the number of children below the age of six, and some as young as three, being prescribed the drug.
They also warned dosages were getting stronger, with children increasingly given a powerful ‘kickstart’ dose in the mornings.
Ritalin – whose generic name is methylphenidate hydrochloride – can cause nausea, fatigue and mood swings and has also been linked to suicides.
Most prescriptions would have been given to those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder, with symptoms including an inability to concentrate and restless or impulsive behaviour.
The Association of Educational Psychologists surveyed members in the West Midlands and found more than 100 children under six on medication in the area.
‘This is reaffirmed across the country,’ it said.
Figures show almost 1.7million children aged up to 16 in England – 21 per cent – were recorded with special educational needs in 2011, up from 19 per cent in 2006.
Psychologists also warned that children with behavioural problem were increasingly prescribed Ritalin in conjunction with anti-depressants.
Chemical cosh: Ritalin - whose generic name is methylphenidate hydrochloride - can cause nausea, fatigue and mood swings and has also been linked to suicides
This was despite ‘little to no evidence about the effect which these cocktails of drugs are having on the development of children’s brains’.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2140602/Ritalin-given-children-aged-prescriptions-treat-hyperactivity-soar.html#ixzz1uAg0txeJ
By Laura Clark
PUBLISHED: 02:25, 7 May 2012
UPDATED: 02:25, 7 May 2012
Comments (41) Share
Out of control? There is evidence that children under the age of six are taking the medication
Prescriptions for ‘chemical cosh’ drugs to treat hyperactivity have soared four-fold in a decade amid evidence that children as young as three are taking the medication.
The number of prescriptions for Ritalin leapt from 158,000 in 1999 to 661,463 in 2010, NHS figures have revealed.
Psychologists said they were seeing a sharp rise in the number of children below the age of six, and some as young as three, being prescribed the drug.
They also warned dosages were getting stronger, with children increasingly given a powerful ‘kickstart’ dose in the mornings.
Ritalin – whose generic name is methylphenidate hydrochloride – can cause nausea, fatigue and mood swings and has also been linked to suicides.
Most prescriptions would have been given to those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder, with symptoms including an inability to concentrate and restless or impulsive behaviour.
The Association of Educational Psychologists surveyed members in the West Midlands and found more than 100 children under six on medication in the area.
‘This is reaffirmed across the country,’ it said.
Figures show almost 1.7million children aged up to 16 in England – 21 per cent – were recorded with special educational needs in 2011, up from 19 per cent in 2006.
Psychologists also warned that children with behavioural problem were increasingly prescribed Ritalin in conjunction with anti-depressants.
Chemical cosh: Ritalin - whose generic name is methylphenidate hydrochloride - can cause nausea, fatigue and mood swings and has also been linked to suicides
This was despite ‘little to no evidence about the effect which these cocktails of drugs are having on the development of children’s brains’.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2140602/Ritalin-given-children-aged-prescriptions-treat-hyperactivity-soar.html#ixzz1uAg0txeJ
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