| ■ More U.S. Children Taking Drugs for Digestive Problems | 2007.10.09 |
| Between 2002 and 2006, there was a 56 percent increase in the number of American children aged 4 and younger taking prescription drugs for heartburn and other digestive problems, according to a Medco Health Solutions Inc. analysis released Thursday. Last year, more than 557,000 children in that age group were taking the drugs. The analysis also found there was a 31 percent increase among children ages 5-11 (551,653 in 2006) and a six percent increase among children ages 12-18 (one million in 2006), the Associated Press reported. Overall, about two million U.S. children 18 and younger used prescription drugs for digestive or gastrointestinal problems in 2006. "It's a signal that something's going on that we need to keep an eye on," Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer, told the AP. "Whether it's parents getting their children diagnosed more frequently, or obesity," or other factors, "it bears further study," he said. |