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Children–Articles

The following articles provide more information on the use — and misuse — of psychiatric drugs on children and teens.

Brain development continues through teen years

Brain Development Continues Throughout Teen Years    A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association pointed out the danger of the escalating use of psychiatric medication in the treatment of two-to-four year olds. Editorials in the journal, as well as in the Washington Post and USA Today, […]

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U.S. Attention Deficit On Legal Drug Risks

  By Arianna Huffington December 7, 1998 (Thanks to Arianna Huffington for permission to reprint) Ten days ago (November 27, 1998) the Food and Drug Administration issued new rules that require drug companies to study a lot more thoroughly the safety and effectiveness of drugs for children. Staggering though it is […]

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Pregnant Mothers Should Not Take SSRI Antidepressants

On June 28, 2007 more than 250 headlines around the world promised that SSRI antidepressants (such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and Celexa) are safe for pregnant mothers and their developing babies. “Mom’s Antidepressant Use Poses Little Danger to Baby,” heralded the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Antidepressants pose low birth defect risk,” claimed Boston Globe. The New York Times ran with the Associated Press’s article titled “Antidepressants Not Big Risk for Defects.” The Wall Street Journal’s coverage was titled “Reassurance on Antidepressants in Pregnancy.” The day before the news stories broke, the Centers for Disease Control spun the news in advance with a press release headlined, “New Study Finds Few Risks of Birth Defects from Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy” (CDC Division of Media, 2007).

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The Hazards of Treating “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” with Methylphenidate (Ritalin) (1995)

Originally published in The Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, Vol. 10(2) 1995, pp. 55-72 by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. and Ginger Ross Breggin ABSTRACT. The criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder focus on behaviors that adults find frustrating and disruptive. Conflicts between children and adults are redefined as diseases or disorders within […]

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