When I got custody of my (now) adopted daughter there was mention of Bipolar
Disorder in her records and she was taking Seroquel for it. I did some
research on the medication only to discover that it was not approved for use
in children under 18 (she's 10 and has been taking this medication since the
age of 7). I was very concerned and began calling around Atlanta looking for
a professional to advise me on what to do - she was running out of it and I
was slowly weaning her from it (my own decision) and I wanted to make sure I
wasn't doing more harm than good.
I spoke to the head of the Child Psychiatry Department of Emory University
who told me that, without seeing her and making a formal diagnosis, many
times Seroquel is given to children in foster care as "chemical restraints"
when there are issues of anger, sleeplessness, and tantrums. There are no
studies that show the long term effects of children taking this medication
and, therefore, it is not recommended for children under 18 and FDA has not
approved the medication for children. He also said it was "extremely rare"
for a child under the age of 10 to be properly diagnosed with bipolar
disorder. It is not impossible or implausible, just extremely rare.
Therefore, please make sure the diagnosis of this child has been done by a
psychiatrist who specilizes in Children and Adolescent Psychiatry not a
psychiatrist who just also sees children. Please get a second opinion before
meds are prescribed and treatment programs are begun. I'm not saying the
diagnosis is not valid just that a qualified professional who specializes in
child and adolescent psychiatry should be called in to verify the diagnosis.
I've been there and it turned out that the second opinion saved me years of
medication, questionable side effects/long-term effects, and improper
labeling of a little girl that could have had lifelong detrimental
consequences. Hope that helps. susan
On 4/24/06, sfinemel <sfinemel@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF)
>
> This national organization seeks to educate professionals and the public
> about early-onset bipolar disorders. It provides information on the
> disorders as well as links to medical websites, related organizations,
> online audio and video presentations, full-text articles and abstracts of
> scientific and professional journals, and new research findings.
> http://www.bpkids.org/
>
> A Mind of Their Own
>
> This companion site to an American RadioWorks program that looks at
> bipolar
> disorder in children features articles on recognizing bipolar disorder ("a
> relatively new and controversial diagnosis for children"), treatments, and
> social interactions of children with the illness. Includes transcripts,
> interview excerpts, and related links. From American Public Media.
> http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/bipolarkids/
>
>
>
> http://healthyminds.org/letstalkfacts.cfm#bip
>
>
> This site from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) contains a FAQ
> on
> psychiatry and expert opinions on various mental health issues; fact
> sheets
> (topics include terrorist alert anxiety, postpartum depression, effects of
> media violence, coping with natural disasters); brochures on anxiety
> disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, phobias, and other topics;
> resources for locating a psychiatrist; and more.
>
>
> Sybil Finemel
>
> Library Director MLIS.CIO.
>
> Contributor, lii.org, Librarians'
>
> Index to the Internet
>
> http://lii.org/
>
> Virtual Reference Desk Volunteer
>
> 24/7 Reference Librarian.
>
> sfinemel@comcast.net
>
> "Manners are of more importance
>
> than laws. Manners are what vex
>
> or soothe,
>
> corrupt or purify, exalt or
>
> debase, barbarize or refine us,
>
> by a constant,
>
> steady, uniform, insensible
>
> operation, like that of the air
>
> we breathe in."
>
> Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: School Library Media & Network Communications
> [mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Becki Bishop
> Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 7:49 AM
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: [LM_NET] TARGET: Bipolar disorder in children
>
> One of our kindergarten students was recently diagnosed as bipolar.
> Does anyone know of good places on the net to learn more about this
> disorder in children? My days as a psychology student were 15 years
> ago, so I'm not as familiar with current information anymore. Her
> teacher and the others who work with her will appreciate any help you
> can give!
>
> Becki Bishop
> School Library Media Specialist
> Campbell Court Elementary
> 220 Campbell Court
> Bassett, VA 24055
>
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--
Susan Grigsby, Teacher-Librarian
Midvale Elementary School
Atlanta, Georgia
susan.grigsby@gmail.com
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