AAP guidelines update #ADHD #med #childcare

4.19: news.med/adhd/AAP guidelines update:

. did you think it was only psychiatrists
who medicated mental illness?
the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics)
started doing so in 2000 .
. back then they were telling all pediatricians
to screen ages 6..12 for adhd
(attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder).
. this was actually a prayed-for improvement;
because, before the diagnosis of adhd,
parents would seek help from psychiatrists,
who would put their kid on anti-aggression drugs
-- the same endocrine-disrupting major tranquilizers
that are given to seriously ill schizophrenics .

In 2011, the AAP updated these guidelines,
now recommending that primary care physicians,
screen ages 4 through 18 for ADHD .
. here's how the adhd stimulants fit in the treatment plan:
"( For preschool-age children,
behavioral interventions are considered first-line therapy.
If resources are unavailable, physicians should
carefully weigh the risks of drug therapy at an early age
with those associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment.

For children aged 6 to 11,
there's combination medication and behavioral therapy .
Evidence for use of stimulants in this age group is strong.
For older children, treatment should begin with medication.
Behavioral therapy may be prescribed,
but data on it in this age group
are not as strong as in younger patients.
Medication for ADHD should be titrated to achieve
maximal benefits with minimal adverse events.
) .
. one problem the "(minimal adverse events) criteria
is that the some of the most notable adverse events
come later;
according to Dr.Breggin,
the use of stimulants will inhibit growth;
and, in households where diet is not conservative,
it can lead to hypertension, and enlarged heart .
. stimulants may increase the risk of
other psychiatric disorders (ocd,
schizophrenia-like disorders,
depression, suicidal ideations).