ARE WE OVER MEDICATING OUR CHILDREN?

I was sent an article today from a good friend who is passionate about what is happening with the over medicating of our children. Shelley heads an association called CCHR- Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
She sent me an article published in today's paper about... children as young as one are being prescribed powerful anti-psychotic drugs . I will paste the article below.

Many of you know my passion for education in this area and that these toxic band aides are mainly not the answers. Our survey results indicated that most of you agree. The relevant results are as follows:-

• I believe that children are being over medicated for learning and behavioural challenges? - 82 votes (87.2%)
• The child in my care or a close friend/family member has been diagnosed with a condition like ADHD/ADD, autism, aspergers or any other learning or behavioural challenge? - 52 votes (50%)
• The child in my care is or has been on some sort of medication? - 28 votes (26.9%)
• I would like to see children with challenges being treated with a more natural and holistic approach? - 89 votes (94.7%)

Almost 95% believe we should treat our precious children with a more natural and holistic approach.

So I think it's safe to say WE DON'T WANT TO medicate our children.
The challenge is for a lot of families that they don't know what to do or where to start. Often they are not given alternatives to drugs by many of our mainstream practitioners. But thank goodness we now have so many alternative practitioners and even mainstream ones that don't believe in medicating.

One of my goals with what we are doing is to help and support these families so they will have some confidence and the tools they need to go and make the changes in their home that can improve the well being of not only the child with challenges but also the whole family. OVER THE COURSE OF THESE BLOG ENTRIES AND ALSO THE WEBINARS I WILL BE CONDUCTING I INTEND TO COVER ALL OF THE AREAS THAT WE CAN WORK ON TO CREATE a happy and healthy home. Much of this information is also in my books and I know many of you have read one or all of them. If you haven't feel free to check them out on www.hiddendangers.com.au

I will copy the article below for you to read as mentioned earlier.

From: DailyTelegraph
March 24, 2010

CHILDREN as young as one are being prescribed powerful anti-psychotic drugs that have been linked to deaths overseas.

Kids prescribed toxic drug cocktail
• EXCLUSIVE by Kate Sikora
• From: The Daily Telegraph
• March 24, 2010 12:00AM

CHILDREN as young as one are being prescribed powerful anti-psychotic drugs that have been linked to deaths overseas.
The strong medication is designed to quell psychotic episodes normally experienced by adults with schizophrenia and bi-polar.
There are concerns some doctors are illegitimately writing scripts for pre-schoolers and primary school children for unapproved medical reasons, such as behavioural problems or ADHD.
Figures provided by the Therapeutic Goods Administration showed up to 3351 NSW children aged under 18 were prescribed the drugs in 2007-08.
Of them, at least 62 toddlers aged five and under - including five one-year-olds - were prescribed the drugs in NSW in that period.
"You can assume children under 12 are illegitimately being prescribed these drugs for behaviour problems. It should not be the case," University of South Australia's associate professor in psychiatry Dr Jon Jureidini said yesterday.
"These drugs are not marketed or recommended by the TGA for that use."
Common medications such as Risperdal, Zyprexa and Abilify are not approved for children under five. The TGA has approved Risperdal to treat children with autism.
Side effects can be so severe in adults that elderly patients with dementia are warned they have a higher risk of sudden death.
In the United States, 45 children died while taking anti-psychotic drugs between 2000 and 2004.
Common side effects include excessive weight gain, low blood pressure, increased risk of diabetes and painful muscle spasms.
Royal Australasian College of Psychiatrists' Dr Louise Newman argued that in some cases there was a need for children and toddlers to be placed on the drugs.
"They could suffer neurological disorders where the brain might have lesions. It is wrong that we don't talk about children with depression and other psychological disorders," she said.
"I treat children who are suffering depression or they have behavioural issues because their parent is depressed."
In 2007-08, almost 10,000 children under 18 throughout Australia were prescribed anti-psychotic medication, costing the Government $3.4 million.
Professor Vaughan Carr from the Schizophrenia Research Institute said it would be "good to have first-rate drug surveillance in place to record (reasons) for the prescription" to track the growing problem.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing said the prescribing of drugs was up to the doctor's discretion.

I don't know about you but I certainly don't like the idea of ANY children, especially toddlers being prescribed anti- psychotic drugs.
Let me know what you think.
Happy parenting,
Cheers,
Lillian