Prescription medication given to kids is down over the last decade
A new study found that prescription medication for kids is decreasing. Yet, researchers say increases in the use of drugs for ADHD.
Antibiotic use down in children, says a new federal government analysis.
Despite the drop, the study found that prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) are up.
According to Reuters, the number of antibiotic prescriptions for kids shrank by 14 percent between 2002 to 2010 but still remains the most commonly prescribed medication for children.
"Approximately 263 million prescriptions were dispensed to the pediatric population in 2010 — 7 percent lower than the number of prescriptions dispensed in 2002," the study authors wrote, according to HealthDay.
Read more on GlobalPost: Antibiotic resistant bacteria found in four million-year-old cave
The likely cause of decreasing antibiotic use is better education by parents about their use and an understanding of their lack of effectiveness against viral infections.
The study found that other drugs that had decreased in use for children were allergy medications by 61 percent, pain medications by 14 percent and cough expectorants by 42 percent, reported USA Today.
Yet, researchers also saw an increase in asthma medications, contraceptives and prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – the later by nearly 50 percent.
The rapid decrease in allergy medication is likely due to the growing abundance in over-the-counter alternatives, reported MedPage Today.
The large increase in the use of contraceptive drugs, "the pill," likely reflects their use for secondary conditions such as acne, the authors speculate.