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A 49 percent rise in the use of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder drugs by children under 5 in the last three years contributed to a 23 percent increase in usage for all children, according to an annual analysis of drug use trends by Medco Health Solutions Inc.
"Behavioral medicines have eclipsed the other categories this year," said Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer. "It certainly reflects the concern of parents that their children do as well as they can."
Antibiotics still top the list of the most commonly used children's drugs, but parents are paying more for behavioral drugs, such as stimulants or antidepressants, according to the analysis of drug use among 300,000 children under 19. Medco, the nation's largest prescription benefit manager, was to release the data culled from its customers' usage on Monday.
The most startling change was a 369 percent increase in spending on attention deficit drugs for children under five. That's in part because of the popularity of newer, long-acting medicines under patent, compared with twice-a-day Ritalin (news - web sites) and generic versions available for years.
But the use of other behavioral drugs also jumped in the last three years. Antidepressant use rose 21 percent and drugs for autism and other conduct disorders jumped 71 percent, compared to a 4.3 percent rise in antibiotics.
Epstein said 17 percent of total drug spending last year for the group of children under 19 was for behavioral medicines, compared with 16 percent each for antibiotics and asthma drugs, 11 percent for skin conditions and 6 percent for allergy medicines.
Use of such behavior medicines has been controversial, with some experts questioning whether parents and school officials are too eager to medicate disruptive children.
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I have seen a lot a strange parenting in my, admittedly young, 25 years. The idea that somehow we made it from cavemen without behavior pills for kids just boggles the mind.
I see kids in public, all the time, doing things I've been clobbered for. Not to have you belive I was a perfect little angel, but there were some things I did not do in public. If I tried, it wasn't going to happen long, because we'd leave; I'd get punished.
I hesitate to judge parents, because I'm not one yet. However, I still think about what I see, and I see a lot of indulgence, and I see a lot of kids who run thier parents.
I can only hope that when it's my turn to make parenting calls, I make good ones.
I'd prefer not to alter my kids brain activity because they won't listen to me. My assumption will be that I need to change my type of communication to achieve the behavior I'm looking for. I will not to assume the kid's brain needs meddling with.