More U.S. kids prescribed stimulants to treat ADHD

The number of children being prescribed stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been steadily rising in the U.S. since 1996, researchers found. The finding was contained in a report released Wednesday in the U.S. medical journal Psychiatry. About 7.8 percent of children aged 4 to 17 in 2003 were diagnosed with ADHD, compared to 9.5 percent in 2007, according to the data gathered from the Health Resources and Services Administration's National Survey of Children's Health. And compared to 0.6 percent in 1987, 2.9 percent of children under 19 in 2002 have been prescribed stimulants, the report said. The finding raises the researchers' concern as stimulants have side effects such as decreased appetite, leeplessness and even heart-related damage, the report warned. "Stimulant medications work well to control ADHD symptoms, but they are only one method of treatment for the condition. Experts estimate that about 60 percent of children with ADHD are treated with medication." says researcher Benedetto Vitiello, MD, of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. "There is ongoing concern that these drugs may not be used properly, especially when they are prescribed to college students or children in their late adolescence who are more in charge of their care and may not be using the medications as prescribed." he added.