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Joseph T. Coyle, MD

JAMA. 2000;283:1059-1060.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The study by Zito and colleagues¹ in this issue of THE JOURNAL on the use of psychotropic medications in very young children in 2 Medicaid programs and a managed care organization suggests that 1% to 1.5% of all children 2 to 4 years old enrolled in these programs currently are receiving stimulants, antidepressants, or antipsychotic medications. The authors also report that the prevalence of neuropsychopharmacologic interventions in this age group increased substantially during the last decade.

This reported increased use of psychotropic drugs in very young children raises important questions. Are the findings aberrant? Are they consistent with evidence-based medicine? Is there a reason to be concerned about this new prescribing pattern?

Several recent studies provide additional evidence that the prescription of psychotropic drugs to very young children has increased during the last decade. In a review of information from the Intercontinental Medical Statistics Study, Minde² . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

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