3-6 YEAR OLDS BEING USED FOR RITALIN STUDY

[Jcrowley]

Study finds risks, benefits in giving Ritalin to preschoolers

POSTED: 7:23 p.m. EDT, October 19, 2006

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- The first long-term government study of preschoolers who take Ritalin, the popular attention deficit disorder drug, warns of side effects but also found benefits in children with severe problems.
The drug isn't approved for use in children under age 6, and the researchers said those youngsters need close monitoring. Preschoolers are more likely than older children to develop side effects, experts said.

<snip>

The research involved children with severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with behaviors that included hanging from ceiling fans, jumping off slides or playing with fire. The researchers say the benefits of low-dose treatment outweigh the risks for these youngsters. But critics disputed that. "I hope publication of this does not lead to more overprescribing," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe of the watchdog group Public Citizen. "The safety isn't adequately established, the efficacy even less."

About 40 percent of children developed side effects and roughly 11 percent dropped out because of problems including irritability, weight loss, insomnia and slowed growth. Preschoolers on methylphenidate, or generic Ritalin, grew about half an inch less and gained about 2 pounds less than expected during the 70-week study.

"This is a catastrophe. It just opens up the way for drugging the younger kids," said Dr. Peter Breggin, a New York psychiatrist and longtime critic of psychiatric drug use in children. Breggin said the research is part of a marketing push by the drug industry to expand drug use to the youngest children. The study appears in the November edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Several of the researchers have financial ties to makers of ADHD drugs, including Ritalin.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/10/19/preschoolers.adhd.ap/

[davidinalameda]

1. dope the little monsters up

don't let them out until they hit 21

[upi402]

2. Republicans would rather eat their kids than lose out on some profit

and they really like their kids

[BeHereNow]

3. To hell with the developing brain chemistry in the target population...

The developing brain in the targeted age group is
so delicate, so important-
To think that anyone would propose introducing
pharmaceutical toxins in a brain so young, and at such
a pivotal stage of development, is nothing
short of OBSCENE.
"Monsters from hell" doesn't begin to describe
the people who have proposed such filth.

BHN

[brer cat]

4. Parents/Grandparents with experience please respond!!!

My grand is having severe problems in kindergarten. Both parents were diagnosed as adhd and she has the same problems. I never did ritalin or any similar type drug but it was suggested many times for her. But I'm seeing my grand having these same problems. She came home from school this week with a very nasty note from her teacher that she was causing problems. My sister who spent her career teaching 1st grade, and is mostly opposed to these types of drugs, says to wait a few years before deciding. What has your experience been?

[Horse with no Name]

6. As a nurse, I oppose these drugs

And SOME (please don't read ALL) teachers want the kids sitting still as automatons so that they don't have to do anything.
Come up with a reward system for your grandchild. Give positive reinforcement.
When he misbehaves at school, don't allow him to watch TV or play games when he gets home.
When he behaves, give him a treat.
That is how it used to be done, now everyone wants a little purple pill to fix everything because it is easier. Nobody ever said raising kids was easy.

[brer cat]

10. Thanks, My sister is a nurse and agrees with you.

No drugs. But it's sometimes hard to know when there is pressure from teachers to get the child under some kind of control. My grand is not totally off the wall, but close. She is just so hyper sometimes we can't get her settled down.

[BeHereNow]

7. Dietary changes have produced profound results

in children "diagnosed" with the medically unproven
condition labeled "ADHD."
How can ANYONE justify prescribing medication
for a condition that has YET to be diagnosed by
medical testing?
Removing sugar, additives and glutin has produced
incredible results in ADHD diagnosed children and adults-
However, the Pharma Cartel sees no profits from dietary changes.
Any wonder that the results of nutrition changes have been
blacked out?
BHN

[brer cat]

13. well we will hear nothing but drugs from the pharma cartel.

just asking if this is a case where sometimes the drugs are useful. I appreciate the DU response. I appreciate friends that I can trust.

[Jcrowley]

12. Have you been to the classroom?

Or if not possible has either parent directly observed what is happening in the classroom?

Absolutely avoid this for the developing child at all costs. Let's look at this situation:
You've got anywhere from 15-30 young children in a boxed in room with one primary adult, hopefully an assistant or two, who have boundless energy if nothing else and what is being asked of them is to "behave" meaning sit still and listen or do what everyone else is doing even if you're bored and so on. All children are very different and may react in "problematic ways", as well the teacher may be unable to deal with all of this (a very impossible situation) making for the quick solution- A Pill.

Not to mention Bad Food.

[brer cat]

15. I've observed the classroom and she is a problem

as far as they are concerned. It's a very small class with several helpers along with the teacher. And my grand is always doing something different..the teacher says stand up and my grand sits down, the teacher says stand up and sing a song and my grand falls on the floor...never what the teacher says. I can see her frustration but I don't want to suggest drugs for my grand.

[Jcrowley]

14. Consider

Boredom is not the only reason children can exhibit symptoms of ADHD. Perfectly normal children who are over-active (have a lot of energy), rebellious, impulsive, day-dreamers, sensitive, undisciplined, bored easily (because they are bright), slow in learning, immature, troubled (for any number of reasons), learning disabled (dyslexia, for example), can also be inattentive, impulsive, or hyperactive.

Many factors outside the classroom can stress or emotionally affect children, causing some children to exhibit ADHD-like 'symptoms.' Some of these factors are: not getting love, closeness, or attention from their parents; if a parent, friend, or sibling is sick or dies; if the parents are divorcing and there is anger, shouting, or conflict at home; domestic violence at home; sexual, physical, or emotional abuse by parents or siblings; inattention and neglect at home; personality clashes with parents or siblings; envy or cruelty directed at a child by classmates or by siblings at home, and many other factors.

Also, many other medical conditions can cause children to mimic some or all of ADHD's symptoms. Some of these conditions are: Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), allergies, learning disabilities, hyper or hypothyroidism, hearing and vision problems, mild to high lead levels, spinal problems, toxin exposures, carbon monoxide poisoning, metabolic disorders, genetic defects, sleeping disorders, post-traumatic subclinical seizure disorder, high mercury levels, iron deficiency, B-vitamin deficiencies (from poor diet), Tourette's syndrome, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, early-onset diabetes, heart disease, cardiac conditions, early-onset bipolar disorder, worms, viral and bacterial infections, malnutrition or improper diet, head injuries, lack of exercise, and many others.

Because these medical conditions can cause some or all of ADHD's symptoms, it becomes next to impossible for any teacher, principal, or family doctor to claim with any certainty that a child has ADHD. To be certain, a doctor would have to test the child for all these other possible medical conditions. Since parents or doctors don't do this, every diagnosis of ADHD is suspect, to say the least.

http://homepage.mac.com/iajukes/blogwavestudio/LH20041127121839/LHA20060114131407/index.html

[BeHereNow]

20. AMEN!!!

You speak the truth, righteously so!
Did you know the Montessori list for gifted and talented
is nearly identical to the ADHD diagnosis list?
Heh!
Eye of the beholder and all that...
among truly gifted educators, such behavior is a challenge
to be met with curriculum, among others, an opportunity
to profit through medication of a gifted person.

BHN

[moc]

21. Some children benefit greatly from the drugs.

My husband is a therapist who specializes in child/adolescent. The way he likens it is to diabetes. True ADHD is a neurological condition that in some cases (not all) can benefit from medication. If you were diagnosed with diabetes and your physician told you you needed insulin, would you refuse because you didn't want to medicate?

However, I would urge you to seek a complete assessment by an experienced behavioral health provider. A teacher is not qualified to diagnose ADHD. A pediatrician is not qualified to dx ADHD and should not be in the practice of prescribing ADHD medications. These meds should only be prescribed by a psychiatrist who specializes in the area. Each child is different, and a full assessment and careful monitoring are imperative if medication is recommended. Furthermore, it's not an issue of "give them a pill and it will fix it". Medication should be combined with CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), and research supports that CBT plus meds is more effective than meds alone.

It is true that kindergarten is a little on the young side for this diagnosis. I'd like to add another perspective, however. I am a developmental researcher, and I do studies on the transition to elementary school with a particular focus on child behavior problems. You say your granddaughter is having "severe" problems in K. That is very worrisome. The alternative to meds is not doing nothing and I urge you to do something. The first years of elementary school are so important. Academic trajectories are established as early as third grade. If your granddaughter is being set up to fail so early in elementary school, it may be very difficult to overcome in the future. If her problems are that significant, I urge you to seek consultation with a behavioral health provider. It doesn't have to be a psychiatrist with the assumption that meds are in order. Other providers (psychologists, clinical social workers, etc) can do the initial assessments and start treatment and only refer to a psychiatrist as needed. Many such providers work in tandem with psychiatrists for this very reason.

You might also be interested in a show that Diane Rehm did earlier this week. If you go to this URL http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/06/10/17.php#11980, scroll down and you'll see "11:00 Dr. Kevin Kalikow: "Your Child in the Balance" A child psychiatrist offers an insider's view of the complexities involved in diagnosing and developing treatments for his young patients." I listened to the show and it was very good. Diane Rehm's show is available for podcasting, but I don't know if this one is available yet. There are also links there where you can stream the show.

Good luck.

[Jcrowley]

23. Wrong direction

Maybe it's not the kids but schooling that's the problem

When we ask what kind of schooling was behind this brilliant society which has enchanted the centuries ever since, any honest reply can be carried in one word: None. After writing a book searching for the hidden genius of Greece in its schools, Kenneth Freeman concluded his unique study The Schools of Hellas in 1907 with this summary, "There were no schools in Hellas." No place boys and girls spent their youth attending continuous instruction under command of strangers. Indeed, nobody did homework in the modern sense; none could be located on standardized tests. The tests that mattered came in living, striving to meet ideals that local tradition imposed. The word sköle itself means leisure, leisure in a formal garden to think and reflect. Plato in The Laws is the first to refer to school as learned discussion.

http://www.rit.edu/~cma8660/mirror/www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/1f.htm

[moc]

26. Sounds nice but does nothing to address the problems at hand.

This child isn't going to school in Ancient Greece, she's going to school in 21st century America. Waxing poestic about the shortcomings of modern education will do nothing to address the very real problems this child is having right here, right now.

This child needs to be fully evaluated by a competent behavioral health provider. Whether medication is needed remains to be seen. It may be that other, non-medication related approaches would solve the problem. Perhaps the child needs to be taught alternative coping strategies. Perhaps the teacher can be provided with alternate strategies for working with this child's needs. Perhaps another type of educational environment like Montesorri would be a better fit for this child's style. There are a number of options but what's best can't be determined without a complete evaluation by an experienced behavioral health provider.

So, pine away about the superiority of Grecian education. In the meantime, a young child is at very real risk of early academic failure that could haunt her for the rest of her academic career.

[n2doc]

25. Change teachers/schools

I know this sounds drastic. We had a similar problem with our son. He went from loving school to having to be dragged into K class. And I do blame the teacher, who had a "drill sargent" mentality and who ignored our suggestions on how to get our son to go along with her activities. It was her way or the hyway. We chose the hyway.
The student-teacher interaction is the most important thing in early learning, in my opinion.

[Horse with no Name]

5. There are no words

to describe the depths of depravity so that someone can make a buck.
Kids this age ask lots of questions, they are exploring the world, getting into everything. It's what kids do.
This is why the accidental death rate is high in this age group.
We are supposed to teach them and protect them, not drug them up.
This is totally obscene.
I guess they interfere with Mommy and Daddy watching American Idol.
Can't have that now, can we?

[brer cat]

8. I agree. But some children really have problems....

My daughter was diagnosed with adhd but I refused the drugs. Her daughter is having a lot of problems with kindergarten. Are they ever useful? I have known personally several children with adhd who really were off the wall. Is there ever a time for the drugs? I don't know, asking fellow duers for advise.

[BeHereNow]

9. Put your daughter on a whole foods diet-

Remove sugar, gluten and additives.
They are the culprits, not some mythological
condition that has never been diagnosed
by medical or biological testing.
BHN

[Horse with no Name]

11. Great advice

I watched the part on Supersize Me! where they removed all the sugars and processed foods from the school cafeteria in the alternative school and they said that the behaviours were virtually non-existant after they started doing that.
IMHO, it should be done in EVERY school.
Our foods are made to make us fat--do you recall the scientist who studied the food pyramid that said it was the same combination of food groups that they used to fatten hogs for slaughter?

[brer cat]

16. amazing! We have a great diet rich in vegs and fruits, but you never know

what is in the school diet!

[BeHereNow]

17. As a person who works in a school, I will tell you-

Toxic waste is what is served in the cafeteria.

Also, when you say your diet is rich in "fruits and veggies, "
I ask you this question:
Are they organically farmed or laden with pesticides?
There is a difference in the results they have in the body.
BHN

[brer cat]

18. We grow our own to a large degree and they are pesticide free.

Your question is a good one, but we control the vegs and fruits coming here.

[BeHereNow]

19. That is good thing- now cut out the sugar and gluten

and start making lunch at home, so the kid doesn't have to eat the
school sludge!
BHN

[Igel]

22. I hate the idea of kids being on drugs.

But it happens, and some apparently require it for normal functioning in today's society.

But human subject research protocols tend to be stiff, and the penalty for violating them or the terms of the protocol as approved tend to be stiffer.

Moreover, no drug can be approved without human trials. The drugs currently approved for kids 3-6 years old were tested before they were approved. "Testing" pretty much implies "unapproved".

Since trials tend to cost money to run, and there are few NGOs willing to test things that have Pharma backing, those running the trials usually have ties to somebody willing to profit from a successful outcome. This is a problem; but it's one that I don't see going away. (It's not unique to medicine, either, it just usually doesn't lead to fatalities in other fields.)

[Hepburn]

24. I don't get most of the school philosophy and never have.

Before I went to law school, I taught school and voluntarily took on the kids that no one wanted. Yep, the problem kids and the hyperactive kids that could not sit still and needed more attention than the day is long. You know, the ones who teachers always thought the parents needed to do something about. As far as I am concerned, once I was out of the teaching profession and practicing law, I did not consider as a parent it was ever my job to do the teacher's job. I never called the teacher when I had a problem client or the copy machine in my office broke down ~~ why the hell would a teacher call me when they could not take care of what was going on in his/her job? Never made any sense to me and I always told them so. None of them ever called with a plan ~~ the question was always presented to me, "So what are YOU going to do about your child." Most of them did not like my answer to that question in the least. I very clearly told a few of them that he/she might wish to consider a different profession because as far as I was concerned, he/she was clueless. One idiot even went to tell me that HE was a teacher and I knew nothing about being a teacher. Well, he soon learned that I may have a law degree, but I also have a masters in Ed. Psych and taught school without having to resort to any parent doing my job for me. As far as I am concerned, it is one thing to work with a parent when a child has a problem in school. But it is totally unacceptable for a teacher to expect the parent to do his/her job from outside of the classroom. And, I do NOT consider asking a parent to medicate a child to make the teacher's job easier an acceptable position to take in any manner whatsoever. That is NOT for the good of the child, but for the convenience of the teacher.

My son is exceptionally smart, out-spoken, easily bored and NEVER hesitated to question a teacher on any subject matter. This was a disaster in the making because most teachers could not deal with anything that did not fit exactly into what they thought was correct behavior ~~ whatever the hell that is! The LAST thing I wished to have done to my child is to have his spirit broken by some person who could not figure out how or was too lazy to challenge him. You know, as far as I was concerned, it was NOT my problem that the teacher could not answer the questions which my child asked.

I have always thought that school does to children the EXACT OPPOSITE of what children are all about ~~ demanding that they sit still and be quiet. That is, at least in my opinion, like asking the impossible. Yes, they need to learn this eventually ~~ but at age 5 or 6!?!?! Please...we have our whole lives to sit still and be quiet. I doubt if I ever learned to do this well and I still made it through high school and college as with honors and managed to do well enough to get a masters and a JD.

It is rather interesting that this question came up right at this time. I was just completing, for a friend, a complaint to the State Board of Education about a situation where children are in foster care at a private school and the idiots there are dispensing psychotropic drugs without court orders to do so. I guess the philosophy is to collect funds from the County while keeping the kiddos zonked so the folks who run this private hell can collect a few mil $$$$ from the County each year without expending too much time actually doing their jobs.

So, I am sure I will get flamed on this response. So, let me say something else: Good teacher are hard to find BECAUSE the stupid people in control simply do not pay enough to attract good people to the profession. I know of quite a few good teachers who are dedicated and who stay even with a pay scale that is totally unacceptable. I wish that every child could find a teacher from this group. But, alas, that is just not what the situation is. Unfortunately, there are too many who look to the parent or an RX to zonk the child because he/she cannot do his/her job.

[Jcrowley]

27. Excellent post

Everyone should read this. No flames at all, kudos.

It's always "blame the child" rather than looking at the systematic flaws. I see it as a form of large scale cultural abuse from a culture that shouts "Our children are our future" and then tell them how bad they are if they don't fit the mold or don't behave like proper automatons.

Sit still!? Please young children are if nothing else perpetual motion machines and that's as it should be.
And we wonder why there are nationwide problems with child obesity and child depression? Maybe it isn't just THE child at fault when so many of THE children are experiencing difficulties.

Thanks for your excellent post.

:toast:

[MiniMandaRuth]

28. Aren't we forgetting natural cures?

less sugar, more running around? Less TV, more books?

Oh yeah. Schools have vending machines, some districts have banned tag, and TV viewing among little kids is higher than ever!

[malaise]

29. WTF?

How sick are these researchers. I bet not one of their kids is being exposed to these horrific drugs.