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The Harmful Effects of ADHD Medication in Children

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The Harmful Effects of ADHD Medication in Children
The Harmful Effects of ADHD Medication in Children
English 102: Writing II

Abstract The medications and treatments for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were researched to expose the risks of pharmaceuticals and their side effects on young children. The medical risks of medications commonly used to treat children with ADHD were examined using published research and findings from pediatricians, physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals, as well as alternative treatments for the disorder. The research showed that the ADHD pharmaceutical treatment plans have serious short and long term side effects on young children, with no evidence of long term efficacy. Whereas, alternative treatment plans pose no harmful physical side effects and are still effective.

The Harmful Effects of ADHD Medication in Children Abigail first started exhibiting signs of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in preschool. Her preschool teachers complained to her parents that during story time she disturbed the other children with her fidgeting. Her parents took her to a developmental pediatrician who, after many tests, diagnosed her with ADHD. The pediatrician prescribed different medications that made her seriously ill and drastically altered her personality. After trying several different medications, her parents decided to abstain from pharmaceuticals as a means of treatment. The side effects of the medications that Abigail used as a treatment for her ADHD are not uncommon for many young children with the disorder. There are many drugs being used to treat ADHD that have short term side effects and long term health risks. Furthermore, the Multimodal Treatment Study (MTA) on ADHD showed that though there was no conclusive evidence of long term effectiveness of the ADHD medications, alternative treatments and behavior therapies are effective treatments for ADHD.


References: Barnett, S. R., & Labellarte, M. J. (2002). Practical assessment and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 181-206. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/206082123?accountid=11936. Docksai, R. (2013). Long-Term Risks of Psychiatric Drugs. Futurist, 47(3), 12-14. Efron, D., Hazell, P., & Anderson, V Huang, Y., & Tsai, M. (2011). Long-term outcomes with medications for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: current status of knowledge. CNS Drugs, 25(7), 539-554. doi:10.2165/11589380-000000000-00000 Ingram, S., Hechtman, L., & Morgenstem, G Kean, B. (2004). What the multimodal treatment study really discovered about intervention for children diagnosed with ADHD: Implications for early childhood Nissen, S. (2006). ADHD drugs and cardiovascular risk. New England Journal of Medicine, 354(14), 1445-1448. Pellow, J., Solomon, E Ryan, J. B., Katsiyannis, A., & Hughes, E. M. (2011). Medication treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
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