young children being prescribed ritalin

[Guest guest]

Young children being prescribed Ritalin Should there be an age limit

for prescribing Ritalin?

<http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=571757 & rss=yes#drugs>

Children as young as two years old are being prescribed the drug Ritalin

after being diagnosed with ADHD.

Figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph show 311 children in NSW aged

five and under depend on the controversial medication.

Fifty eight four-year-olds and 13 three-year-olds depend on the

medication which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD), Health Department figures reveal.

The figures show that nationally, doctors have prescribed ADHD drugs to

five toddlers aged only two, despite the possible side effects.

The figures cover prescriptions subsidised under the Pharmaceutical

Benefits Scheme, the newspaper reported.

The federal Department of Health said prescriptions paid for without

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme subsidies are " a significant portion of

the total scripts " .