Pediatric off-label use of antipsychotic drugs in UK

Data to be published in the Pediatrics journal in May is expected to show that the number of UK children being prescribed antipsychotic drugs has more than doubled in the 1992 to 2005 period, despite the fact that the compounds were not licensed for pediatric use. The biggest increase came in the seven- to 12-year-old group.

According to a report in the on-line edition of The Times, evidence from the USA and the UK suggests that one factor fueling the prescribing of antipsychotics is the trend towards diagnosing behavioral problems as manic depression. In particular, the drugs have been given to children who were considered to have a variety of conditions, including autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

However, David Healy, a professor of psychological medicine at Cardiff University, Wales, told The Guardian newspaper: "there is a real question over whether the drugs can kill, for a number of reasons." He added that one reason is that antipsychotic medicines have an impact on dopamine levels, which can lead to heart, circulatory and breathing problems.