Saturday, August 21, 2010

One million children may be misdiagnosed with ADHD: study

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Almost one million children in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because they were the youngest and least mature in their kindergarten classes, a US study released Tuesday found.

The Michigan State University study found that prescriptions for the misdiagnoses could represent spending of 320 to 500 million dollars a year, with 80 to 90 million of it paid by Medicaid, a public health insurance program for the poor.

The most commonly prescribed drug for ADHD is Ritalin (methylphenidate), a psychostimulant, and its long-term effects are not well known, wrote lead author Todd Elder, of Michigan State University, whose study will appear in the Journal of Health Economics...

[Full Article]

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Youngest in class get ADHD label- USA Today

Younger Kids In Class May Be Overdiagnosed With ADHD-
NPR

1 Million Kids Misdiagnosed With ADHD- Newsmax Health