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WTF? Toddlers and Infants on Xanax and Prozac

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Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I am in shock.  Total disbelief.

An analysis of 2013 IMS Data, found that over 274,000 infants (0-1 year olds) and some 370,000 toddlers (1-3 years age) in the U.S. were on antianxiety (e.g. Xanax) and antidepressant (e.g. Prozac) drugs. This report also found over 1,400 infants were on ADHD drugs. (source:  Wall Street Journal)

What are infants and toddlers doing on Prozac and Xanax?

I can only assume parents and the doctors that prescribe these drugs to infants and toddlers only want for the children to be happy…but WTF?  Happiness doesn’t come in a pill.

I don’t even know how you could tell if an infant needed these drugs.

We live in a culture that can be rough and unsupportive.  It can lack nurturing for both adults and children.  People can feel displaced, unloved, worried, anxious at all ages.  It is true.  Yet the solutions for our youngest population is the simplest.  It is much easier to nurture an infant (maybe less easy to nurture a strong-willed toddler) and support positive behavior than an adult.

We all just want to be loved.  This is especially true for babies and toddlers.  Can Prozac and Xanax be a substitute for love?

Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University wrote in the Wall Street Journal:

Prescriptions of powerful antipsychotics such as Risperdal for infants and very young children have also sharply risen. Office visits for childhood bipolar disorder have risen 40-fold over the past decade in the U.S…

Are psychiatric diagnoses reliable in such young children? Why are tens of thousands of children getting drugs outside guidelines? What is the most humane way to manage behavior changes in children?

The causes are debatable but our culture of “a pill for every temper tantrum” is one culprit. While there are effective nondrug behavioral therapies for preschoolers, access and incentives are not aligned to prioritize them. We also need to invest more in building resilience.

This is a complex problem but as the social reformer Frederick Douglass noted over a hundred years ago, “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights further extrapolates he data:

And as for other age groups, the numbers start in the millions with 0-5 year olds:

  •     The total number of 0-5 year olds currently prescribed psychiatric drugs is 1,080,168.
  •     The number of 6-12 year olds on psychiatric drugs is 4,130,340.
  •     The number of 13-17 year olds taking psychiatric drugs is 3,617,593.

The above are stunning data and, yet, the most egregious element of the ever-increasing number of America’s children being prescribed psychiatric drugs, is that the diagnosis needed in order to have the drugs prescribed, is subjective—there is no medical test to support or validate even one psychiatric diagnosis. As Allen Frances, a psychiatrist and former DSM-IV Task Force Chairman, stated, “There are no objective tests in psychiatry—no X-ray, laboratory or exam finding that says definitively that someone does or does not have a mental disorder. There is no definition of mental disorder. It’s bull…. I mean you just can’t define it.”

This is so disheartening, and I can’t believe doctors could even prescribe psychiatric drugs in such large numbers to such young children.

Many of children’s negative behaviors can be solved through love and environmental changes.  If we truly are finding such astounding numbers of mental illness in children 0-5 years old, then we as a culture need to reflect on how we are supporting and nurturing this population.  Something has to change to stop this trend of giving psychiatric drugs like Xanax and Prozac to toddlers and infants.

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Comments

  1. Kat says

    March 10, 2015 at 4:26 pm

    I find it both impossible to believe, and yet at the same time I’m not hugely surprised. It hurts me though … when did pills become a substitute for Love? How did people start to believe chemicals were the answer? We have all that capacity and more inside of us, and without any nasty side effects. Well, that’s what I believe anyways x Thanks for sharing Jennifer

    Reply
    • KENNTH A KUKWA SR. says

      November 28, 2017 at 3:14 pm

      I realize you posted this years ago, i had no interest years ago but now my 5 month old granddaughter is taking xanax and it annoys me greatly! So Well said! Awesome perspective!

      Reply
  2. Danny says

    December 26, 2017 at 11:06 am

    My son is 5 years old with level 2 autism and severe anxiety at first they had him on several medications but reading more and more into it Xanax is the best choice it helps him be able to function in school and with other people without it the world is to much for him. You have to understand not every story is the same but if anyone has something that could help him more please let me know!

    Reply
    • Jennifer Lance says

      December 27, 2017 at 8:27 am

      Thank you for sharing. You are right, every story is different.

      Reply
  3. visionaryphilosofer says

    September 11, 2018 at 5:26 am

    Welcome to ‘Merica. A pill for every temper tantrum.

    Ask your pediatrician if Xanax or Adderall are right for your infant.

    And remember, Drugs are bad ‘Mkay…

    Marijuana, Not Even Once.

    Reply

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Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

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