Antipsychotic Prescriptions for Children Aged 5 Years or Younger

The use of antipsychotics in very young children is of concerngiven the lack of empirical evidence in their efficacy and long-term impact onchildren’s health. This study examined the prescription of antipsychotics among childrenaged ≤5 years enrolled in a state Medicaid program. Secondary data analysis wasconducted using the Medicaid administrative data of a southeastern state. Using SAS 9.3,descriptive statistics were performed to examine socio-demographic characteristics,psychiatric diagnoses, off-label use, receipt of medications from multiple psychotropicdrug classes, and receipt of non-pharmacologic psychiatric services among children aged≤5 years who received antipsychotic prescriptions in calendar year (CY) 2011. A total of112 children in the target age group received antipsychotics in CY 2011, the most commonprescription being risperidone. The most common listed psychiatric diagnosis wasattention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Two in five children received antipsychoticsfor off-label use. Three in four children also received medications from at least oneother psychotropic drug class. More than half did not receive adjunct psychiatricservices. State-level policies offering specific guidance and recommendations forantipsychotic use among very young children are urgently needed. Future research iswarranted to examine long-term impact of such practices on children’s growth anddevelopment