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Did you know that as many as 180,000 kids under the age of two are taking some kind of mood stabilizer or psychiatric medication? In fact, in the past decade, this rate has risen dramatically, and at least 83,000 of the prescriptions were for Prozac — for children under two years old. Yes, you read that correctly.
Today I’m talking to my friend and colleague Dr. Larry Rosen, who is a pioneering integrative pediatrician and founder of the Whole Child Center. He’s the author of Treatment Alternatives for Children, and is the Clinical Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at New Jersey Medical School and serves as medical advisor to the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center in Hackensack.
Listen in as we discuss the overprescription of our kids, plus what actually might be going on, and how Dr. Rosen helps his patients and their parents through difficult times.
“It’s much harder for the kids and the parents to change their diet and their sleep patterns and their exercise than to try the pill.” – Dr. Larry Rosen
In this episode we discuss:
- Recognizing the difference between overprescription and what’s going on with kids
- Advice for parents who are unsure whether they should pursue medication
- The importance of gather information before prescribing
- The effects of food on these issues
- What practices he prescribes: mindfulness, meditation, and yoga
“Whenever medication is considered, if it’s done in the absence of all these environmental approaches then it’s never the right solution.” – Dr. Larry Rosen
- Why schools are integrating health
- How long to wait before you prescribe
- The importance of having a follow up plan
- Resources for families to look into
- The difficulty of parenting
Links & Resources
- New York Times article about mood stabilizers in children
- Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center
- ADHD Alternatives
- Read The Mindful Teen
- Connect with Larry: Facebook | Twitter | Website
“We need to be role models for our kids not to be perfect, but to take care of ourselves.” – Dr. Larry Rosen
