One kid called it "the brainwash pill." Some said it made them put on weight or provoked teasing from schoolmates when they were called to the nurse's office.
But for others, it was even worse. One foster child, interviewed by researchers studying how medication is given to children in the Allegheny County system, said the meds the doctors prescribed deadened all feelings, taking away what it means to be a kid.
"I couldn't eat, I couldn't move," the child said. "It was like I was in a full body straitjacket."
A report prepared for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services shows children in foster care are more than twice as likely to be prescribed psychotropic drugs than the average child receiving county services. According to researchers, a study of 1,850 youths in foster care found 27 percent receive psychotropic medication, compared to just 11 percent of children who receive Medicaid services at home.
More Here: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2013/10/25/Report-says-foster-kids-receive-too-many-meds/stories/201310250133
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