More Preschoolers Taking Psychotropic Drugs

By Adrienne D. Coles

Doctors are prescribing anti-depressants, stimulants, and other psychotropic drugs to preschoolers at increasing rates, according to a study published last week. But it is unknown what long-term effects those drugs may have on children , experts say.

The study, reported in the Feb. 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, ( "Trends in the Prescribing of Psychotropic Medications to Preschoolers" ), found that prescriptions for 2- to 4-year-olds for such stimulants as methylphenidate, the generic form of Ritalin, increased threefold, while prescriptions for such anti-depressants as Prozac doubled between 1991 and 1995.

Psychotropic medical treatment for children and teenagers with emotional and behavioral disorders, notably attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, has significantly increased in the United States in the past few...