Parents should be taught how to cope with hyperactive youngsters and Ritalin should only be prescribed as a last resort and never given to the under-fives, a health watchdog said Wednesday.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued new guidelines on how to cope with unruly youngsters suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The disorder affects 365,000 children in Britain, and youngsters with ADHD are easily distracted, forgetful and have difficulty keeping still.
Doctors have prescribed Ritalin -- which can cause insomnia, weight loss, nausea and an erratic heartbeat -- to 37,000 children, but NICE says parents should instead be taught how to create a structured home environment, encourage attentiveness and deal properly with misbehaviour.
NICE -- which examines the cost-effectiveness of particular treatments by the NHS -- said drugs still remain the first option for children over five with severe ADHD, but only as part of a broad treatment plan.
"Quite commonly, people tend to revert to offering methylphenidate or atomoxetene...because the child has got what appears to be ADHD and that's what's available," said Tim Kendall -- the joint director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health which assisted NICE in framing the new guidelines.
"Its easier to prescribe a drug when other options like parent training programmes are not available," he added.
The ADHD charity ADDISS questioned the new guidelines.
"Parenting programmes are extremely important, but they need to be specific for ADHD. The ones that NICE are recommending were designed for the parents of children with conduct disorder, which is completely different from ADHD," said ADDISS chief executive Andrea Bilbow.
Copyright AFP
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