According to Israeli Maccabi Kupat Cholim (HMO) pediatrician Dr.
Shlomi Antebi, one in five Israeli children are taking Ritalin or
Concerta for attention disorders while a secondary condition is
undetected and therefore, their true condition is not being treated.
The study monitored 520 children ages 6 to 18 in the central Israel
from May 2006 to May 2008. All of the children were receiving medication
for attention disorders. The study documented that 70% were diagnosed
with ADHD but this was untreated. The coexisting conditions included
oppositional defiant disorder (40 percent), mood disorders including
depression and behavioral problems (18 percent each), and anxiety and
learning disabilities (28 percent each).
25 percent of the patients over 13 admitted to using alcohol and
tobacco.
The study concluded that 13.5% of the children should not be on
Ritalin or Concerta. In 8% of these cases, the drug therapy was
unsuccessful.
Dr. Antebi explains that many doctors are simply unqualified to make
the call regarding Ritalin, explaining a diagnoses may only be made by a
medical professional who deals with such cases fulltime, not
“moonlighting” as he put it.
In accordance with Health Ministry regulations, only neurologists and
psychiatrists are supposed to prescribe Ritalin but pediatricians who
have certified may as well, but their additional training will usually
not include addressing ADHD.
The study, released at a meeting of the Israel Society of Clinical
Pediatrics, questions the widespread use of the Test of Variables of
Attention for diagnosing attention disorders in children. The
computerized test, often abbreviated as TOVA, seeks to measure a
patient’s sustained and selective attention to determine whether he or
she suffers from an attention disorder.
Dr. Antebi warns that prescribing either drug, Ritalin or Concerta to
children who should not be taking the medication may not only prove
unsuccessful, but the drug may also exacerbate unwanted side effects. He
warns that Ritalin is also tied to stunted growth in patients. Patients
on Ritalin must be monitored semi-annually according to Health Ministry
guidelines, which include vital signs and growth progress, height and
weight of the child.
According to the report, appearing in the daily Haaretz, 2% of
Israeli children (about 51,000) are diagnosed with attention problems
and some 35,000 Ritalin or Concerta prescriptions are filled annually.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Source: Yeshiva World News - http://tinyurl.com/yjz76gg