Frontline: Medicated Child

In the 2008 Frontline documentary “The Medicated Child” Should children with ADHD, ADD or BIPOLAR be medicated? The film was focused on four families with children that presented abnormal symptoms of behavior and the over prescribed prescription of medication these children were receiving. Although many parents, doctors and teacher would say yes to medicating their children, I believe there are far too many risks for children with ADHD, ADD or BIPOLAR to be medicated and to medicate is merely a matter of a doctor option. Parent’s first option was medication and as one parent stated “not one of the doctors suggested an alternative to the medications.” (Frontline, 2001)
ADHD, ADD or BIPOLAR medication have damaging mental and physical side effects include: psychosis, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, aggressive behavior, depression and social withdrawal. The physical side effects of these medications are tics, nausea, weight loss or gain and possible liver damage. Dr. Biederman along with his colleagues published their findings, there has been a 4,000 percent increased in the number of children being diagnosed with bipolar.
One of the four children in the documentary the father of DJ Koontz stated “the family does not know long term effects.” DJ’s child psychiatrist Dr. Patrick Bacon believes he’s bipolar, but there’s no definitive test for any psychiatric illness. The parents were interview in the film, they explain their difficult situation. They are not enthusiastic about the medication, but they don’t see any alternative because of DJ’s rages last have a day, and his self-harming behavior. As child psychiatrist Dr. Patrick Bacon states in the film. “It’s really to some extent an experiment, trying medications in these children of this age.” One of the medications DJ’s taking is Risperdal the side effects are tics, drooling, excessive eating and some kids can gain weight up to 100LBs and get diabetes.
There has been a sharp increase when it comes to diagnoses and treatment of mental illness in children according to the film. It was once believe that adults were diagnoses with bipolar and it only existed in adults. Frontline reported, “Most of the doctors are following the theories of Dr. Beiderman, theorized that “many children have been misdiagnosed in having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” A Stanford University researcher Dr. Kiki Chang defends Biederman theory about children being misdiagnosed. Dr. Kiki Chang believes there’s a large controversy centered around the fact if a nine year old child is having a large temper tantrums and is not able to control himself. “If this happens a few times a week is that coming from bipolar disorder?”
The Food and Drug Administration approve all of the drugs that are solely being tested on adults. There is a lack of information when it comes to studies on children psychiatric medication and it leaves the pediatricians guessing on what to use. In the past it was hard to get the drug companies to study children. Then President Bill Clinton offered the pharmaceutical Companies a generous patent extensions incentive to do studies on children medications to what effect and adverse reaction these drugs were creating in these children.
I believe it is not right to expect children to be treated as adults because children react differently to medications. Most children are sensitive to certain side effects to the medication. It’s not ok to take certain data that is known in adults and try to apply them to children when it comes to medication. It has been known that children have committed suicide weeks after taking antidepressants.
The FDA put a “Black Box” warring on medication for children which lead to better monitoring in drug treatment. Even though there was more attention towards the side effect and to the diagnosis there were concerns for the children who were taking medication. Parents started taking their children off the antidepressant and were no longer getting them. This cause the suicide rate jumped because of the “Black Box” label. Even though the “Black Box” may not intend to have parents to take their children of the antidepressants, it bettered the regulations of diagnosis and medications.
The real question that should be asked is “Is this safe for children, and what should be the treatment for these children.” I feel there should be more studies and no to be so quick to throw out a diagnose on a child.