Rebecca Riley was diagnosed with ADHD before she turned three. In December 2006, she died. Her parents say pneumonia caused her death. Prosecutors allege that the parents are guilty of giving their child a fatal overdose of ADHD medication.

The Buffalo News reported the following about the case:

Some psychiatrists believe the case illustrates a trend of over-diagnosing young children. &

"There are some kids who need those medicines, but I think you get on a slippery slope when, rather than acknowledging that it's really tough to diagnose this in preschoolers, there's a tendency to say, 'Lets give her medication,'" said Dr. Oscar Bukstein, a child psychiatrist and professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

A state medical examiner has said that Rebeccas death was caused by a combination of Clonidine, Depakote, and two over-the-counter drugs  a cough suppressant and an antihistamine. The amount of Clondine alone in Rebeccas system was enough to be fatal.

The doctor who prescribed the medication says she warned Rebeccas parents about the dangers of overdose, and is scheduled to testify in the trial.

Labels: medications, laws

Posted By: Aspen/CRC