FDA approves Prozac for use in children

22 февраля, 2003
LAHORE, Feb 20-PPI: Doctors can now prescribe the popular antidepressant Prozac to children suffering from depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, the US Food and Drug Administration has ruled, reports The HealthScout News Service. Pakistan Press International via NewsEdge Corporation : LAHORE, Feb 20-PPI: Doctors can now prescribe the popular antidepressant Prozac to children suffering from depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, the US Food and Drug Administration has ruled, reports The HealthScout News Service. The decision which covers children and teens seven to 17 years of age, marks the first approval of one of the newer types of antidepressants -called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs- or treating depression in children. Depression affects upto 25 per cent of children and about eight percent of teens in the United States. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, affects about tow percent o the population, and typically begins during adolescence or childhood. At least one-third of the cases of adult OCD begin in childhood, the National Institute of Mental Health says. Clinical trials revealed that the side effects of Prozac use in children and teens were similar to those typically experienced by adults, including nausea, tiredness, nervousness, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating, the FDA says. However, one trial in children and adolescents eight to 17 years old found that after 19 weeks of treatment with Prozac, the study participants gained, on average, about a half an inch less I height and about two pounds less in weight compared to children taking a placebo. The drug's maker, Eli Lilly, has agreed to conduct a follow up study to further evaluate any potential impact of Prozac's use on long-term growth in children, the FDA says. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE) 20-02 2003 <> << Copyright ©2003 Asia Pulse Pte Ltd. >>
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