Monday, 10 September 2007

Turner: Why are babies doped on antidepressants?

UnitedFuture deputy leader Judy Turner, today deplored shocking statistics on the level of antidepressants prescribed to children.

"I am horrified to discover that we have prescribed very high levels of antidepressants to Kiwi kids.

"In the three financial years, 2004 to 2007 (the 2007 figures are subject to change) over 10,000 scripts for antidepressants were written:

0-1 years 1650 2-5 years 4626 6-9 years 4269

"I have no idea why in the year 2004/05, 453 babies under 1 year old were prescribed antidepressants. How can so many infants be clinically depressed?

"The ramifications of these figures are frightening: babies are born with only 15% of their brain fully-developed. Eightyfive percent of development happens from 0-3 years.

"Surely, the antidepressants will interfere with the hardwiring of the children's brains and influence their long-term well-being.

"It seems unlikely that these children would need the prescription for a short period. More likely, they will require antidepressants for the rest of their childhood, perhaps into adulthood.

"The one good thing about these figures is that the amount prescribed in the 0-1 age group is declining. Nonetheless, all parents should ask why such high levels of antidepressants are being prescribed," she said.

Data from Written Parliamentary Question 15003 (2007)

Antidepressant scripts by | | | financial year | | | ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- Patient age in years at | 2004/05| 2005/06| 2006/07 dispensing | | | ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 0 | 453| 41| 9 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 1 | 768| 355| 24 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 2 | 547| 598| 263 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 3 | 464| 384| 356 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 4 | 402| 339| 284 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 5 | 385| 311| 293 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 6 | 420| 319| 232 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 7 | 356| 305| 265 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 8 | 434| 347| 285 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- 9 | 499| 393| 414 ----------------------------+----------+---------+--------- Total | 4,728| 3392| 2425

Notes: Data for 2006/07 has been revised since the answer to written question 14100 (2007) was compiled as additional pharmacy claims have been processed. Data is subject to further revision.

Data represents prescriptions dispensed, not prescriptions written.

Medical reason information is not collected.

'Age at Dispensing' is rounded to the nearest year.

ENDS

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