The number of kids between the ages of 10 and 19 taking sleeping pills increased by 85% between 2000 and 2004, according to a new study released by Medco Health Solutions. After surveying prescription drug claims for 2.4 million Americans, Medco determined that 181,000 kids between the ages of 10 and 19 took prescription sleeping drugs last year. The number of adults taking sleeping pills also increased - for adults between the ages of 20 and 44, prescription sleeping pill usage doubled.
The problem - the FDA has not approved any sleep medications for use by children under the age of 18. Physicians can prescribe them anyway, and they are doing so. In many instances, physicians just calculate the dosage based on the child's weight, since there is no dosing or safety information for children taking these medications.
According to Ann Smith, a Medco Spokesperson, this is part of a trend. For the last several years, there has been an increase in the number of children taking prescription drugs, particularly for behavioral problems. About 15% of patients younger than 20 taking sleeping pills last year were also being medicated for ADD or ADHD.
I have a serious problem with this. Our rush to medicate people for everything is completely out of hand. It is particularly heinous for children, who do not have the same options to make decisions for themselves as adults can. They depend on us to do the right thing, and we are seriously letting them down!
A local mom, June Reed reports that her son is taking Clonadine, a prescription blood pressure medication that also has a tranquilizing effect, to help him sleep. She sees nothing wrong with this. "We've tried everything - soft music, breathing exercises, regular schedules - and nothing else worked," according to Mrs. Reed. "A lot of people think we are doing our kids a disservice by putting them on these medications, but my son couldn't go to school without his sleep medication - he'd be up until 2 or 3 a.m."
Has anyone looked at the amount of sugar this child is consuming? How about caffeine in soft drinks? What about the overall construction of the diet - complex carbohydrates are serotonin precursors, and serotonin has an effect on sleep cycles. And how about television, video games, and computer use - these are known to hype kids up and make them restless. Has anyone looked at parenting styles in this family - in my experience, many kids just need to be told definitively to go to bed and stay there! Until these issues have been addressed, this child should not be medicated. Shame on the doctor who prescribed these meds and the parents for encouraging the child to take them!
Dr. Maureen Kollar, chief of pediatrics at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, is a voice of reason. According to her, sleeping pills should be the last resort. Even if they are safe, she says, we are sending a very poor message to kids. "It seems like there's a pill for everything." There is, but that doesn't mean we should be taking it!
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