By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism in the United States routinely take one or more prescription medications, even though little evidence exists regarding the drugs' safety or effectiveness for treating the neurodevelopmental condition, a new study finds.
The study of almost 34,000 children with an autism spectrum disorder found nearly two-thirds were prescribed at least one medication. Within that group, more than one-third were given two medications, and one in seven took three drugs.
"There are a lot of children who are being treated with psychotropic medications with unknown effects for benefits and harms," said the study's senior author, Dr. Anjali Jain, a managing consultant with the Falls Church, Va.-based Lewin Group, a health care consulting firm.
"I hope everyone -- parents and providers -- will consider these medications with caution," she added.
Children with autism have impaired communication and social skills, and often exhibit repetitive behaviors. In the United States, about one in 88 children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, which can range from mild, as in Asperger syndrome, to severe autism.
The study, released online Oct. 21 in Pediatrics, looked at the use of psychotropic medications, which includes seizure medications, antidepressants, antipsychotics, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs, lithium (a drug that treats manic behavior), and Parkinson's drugs for kids and young adults with autism. The more commonly prescribed medications were antidepressants, antipsychotics and ADHD drugs, or combinations of them, Jain said.
Many of these medications are prescribed for other, co-existing disorders, such as depression or ADHD. The problem is that in people with autism, "it can be really hard to disentangle which behavior goes with which disorder," said Jain.
Dr. Paul Wang, senior vice president of medical research for Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization, agreed. "It's challenging to diagnose someone within the context of an autism spectrum disorder," he said. "They can't necessarily tell you if they're anxious or depressed. And if they're not paying attention, is that a sign of ADD or are they fixated on something else due to the autism spectrum disorder?"
It's also possible that something entirely unrelated is aggravating symptoms, Wang added. "Some of these kids may not have been thoroughly evaluated for a physical condition. You may have a child with an earache who can't express what's going on, and that might manifest as irritable or aggressive behavior," he noted.
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Many Kids With Autism on Multiple Medications, Study Finds