Large numbers of very young children enrolled in Medicaid are being prescribed antipsychotic medications.
During a one year period (7/1/03- 6/30/04) , investigators examined Florida Medicaid data, identifying 528 children under the age of 6 taking antipsychotic medication. Of the 93 children under 4 years taking antipsychotics, 43% had received at least one antipsychotic prescription at the age of 3 years or younger.
From the source:
“While early identification of emotional problems may be beneficial, it appears to result in very early exposure to antipsychotics and other psychotherapeutic medications. The accumulating data on the sensitivity of young children to side effects of these medications suggest that this early and extensive exposure is a cause for concern.”
Tags:
Antipsychotic medication, Children’s Mental Health
Citation:
Constantine RJ, Tandon R, McPherson M, Andel R. Early diagnoses and psychotherapeutic medication treatment experiences of a cohort of children under 6 years old who received antipsychotic treatment in florida’s medicaid program. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2011; 21(1):79-84.
