Queensland babies given anti-depressants, figures show

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Queensland babies given anti-depressants, figures show

Suellen Hinde

December 20, 2008 11:00pm

TWELVE Queensland babies less than a year old were prescribed anti-depressants last year, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme figures reveal.

More Sunshine State children under 10 were prescribed the mood-altering drugs than in any other state.

There were 1274 Queensland children aged 10 or under prescribed anti-depressants in the past financial year, compared to 1184 in New South Wales and 684 in Victoria.

There were also 2818 anti-depressant prescriptions written for Queensland teenagers aged 11 to 15, and 4047 scripts for those between 16 and 18 years.

The figures have alarmed medical experts who say they cannot explain why so many infants and children would be given the drugs.

AMA Queensland president-elect Dr Mason Stevenson said the pills could be given in cases of depression after a terminal illness diagnosis such as cancer or for refugee children who witnessed the horrors of war.

"A morbid diagnosis can lead to depression at any age," he said.

"But anti-depressants are more commonly prescribed for autism-spectrum disorders which can lead to very severe anti-social behaviour where children are virtually unmanageable.

"Often it is a case of distressed parents egged on by distressed teachers who come to the GP seeking help.

''The parents themselves are often suffering from depression and anxiety."

Dr Stevenson said all anti-depressant prescriptions were issued in conjunction with a child/adolescence psychiatrist.

He said there had been no large-scale studies on the usage of anti-depressants in children and the long-term effects on the brain were unknown.

The statistics on anti-depressants have prompted Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon to launch an investigation.

She wants to find out if children have been prescribed the drugs for no good reason.

A spokesman for Ms Roxon said her department was working with Medicare to find out if doctors prescribing the drugs could be identified and "targeted for active intervention".

Drug Arm Queensland Centre for Addiction director Caroline Salom said anti-depressants could be a useful part of medical treatment if used in accordance with prescription and strict medical guidelines.

However she warned: "Misuse of these potent substances is dangerous and incredibly dangerous in younger children.

"And in even younger children it bears a lot of scrutiny to be using these types of drugs."

Ms Salom said she agreed with the AMA that there wasn't really a need for it: "There may be some extenuating circumstances but surely it is a last resort," she said.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0...97-3102,00.html

[jack]

this is a crime
these days, they send a person in with a check list to determine the mental state of babies
does it play ?
how often ?
opps, that baby didn't respond as my list says it should, it must be depressed or bipolar.

[psilocybin]

the parents have to be fucking retarded to allow this

[Guest]

Quote:the parents have to be fucking retarded to allow this

Or cornered. I would guess that if the parents refuse "medical treatment" for their child it will be taken from them possibly.