Kids are known to act up from time to time, as you probably know as a pediatric travel nurse. Just like adults, children deal with issues like stress and anxiety. However, since their minds are not fully developed and they are going through many developmental changes, they might alleviate these issues in aggressive or troublesome ways.
In some cases, these issues can result in pediatric behavioral disorders, the most common being attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Many of these children are prescribed medications to treat these disorders.
Details of the report
According to an April 2015 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of behavioral medication treatment among U.S. children is on the rise. In fact, the data showed that for pediatric patients between ages 4 to 17:
- Around 4 in 10 children were receiving only behavioral medication treatment.
- 10 percent of children only underwent behavioral therapy.
- 3 in 10 kids received both medications and behavioral therapy.
- Another 10 percent took dietary supplements for issues like ADHD.
- 1 in 10 kids did not receive either medication or behavioral therapy.
State-by-state analysis
Where you choose to take your travel nursing assignments could affect the treatments you prescribe to pediatric patients with ADD/ADHD. The CDC also published an infographic showing how the rates of behavioral medication in children broke down by state, and the results varied widely. For instance, behavioral therapy was much more common in the New England and West Coast regions, while behavioral meds were more common in the Midwest and Southeastern states.
A data brief released by the CDC in 2014 showed that socioeconomic factors could play a role in the treatment of behavioral issues with medications. For instance, children in families who had an income below 100 percent of the poverty level experienced a higher percentage of prescribed medications treating emotional or behavioral issues compared to children in families who lived 100 percent to less than 200 percent of the poverty level.
Leading opinions
Treating children with behavioral disorders is a nuanced issue, especially when it comes to prescription medications. Experts associated with the report had different things to say about these results. While prescription treatment is up in the U.S. for these issues, some medical professionals are worried about the effects of these medications further down the road, especially with very young pediatric patients.
"We do not know what the long-term effects of psychotropic medication are on the developing brains and bodies of little kids. What we do know is that behavioral therapy is safe and can have long-term positive impacts on how a child with ADHD functions at home, in school, and with friends," CDC principal deputy director Dr. Ileana Arias explained. "Because behavioral therapy is the safest ADHD treatment for children under the age of 6, it should be used first, before ADHD medication for those children."
However, another expert associated with the 2015 report said that these decisions can be complicated, and it requires a collaborative effort from parents, psychologists and medical staff to determine the best solution for a child.
"Treatment decisions for ADHD in children can be complex. Parents, health professionals, psychologists, and educators can work together to ensure that children receive the best treatment available," Dr. Susanna Visser, an epidemiologist with CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, explained. "The good news is that we now have strong clinical guidelines to support the more than 5 million children living with ADHD."
It's crucial that travel nurses and parents, therapists and doctors work together to determine the best behavioral treatments for children with ADD/ADHD, as these disorders continue to increase among U.S. children.