What happened to Rebecca Riley

[mrsjerome]

Court reinstates murder charges against parents

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/articles/2009/02/24/parents_murder_charges_restored/

Psychiatrist focus of probe in girl’s death

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2009/04/30/psychiatrist_focus_of_probe_in_girls_death/

The case has drawn national attention, raising questions about whether doctors can accurately diagnose mental illness in young children and about the "off label" use of prescription drugs.

[Isabelle]

it's about time...!! it's taking too long to see that for the last 30 years there has been an increased of drugging children for no other reason but to just keep them quiet :mad:

[LIZARD]

This gives me chills, not just because of the circumstances, but also because I was startled when I saw her name. I know a Rebecca Riley from another board here on BT whose parents have gone to the ends of the earth to improve her health. As I understand, she's now doing well--after years of seizures and shunt complications due to hydrocephalus.

I only hope justice is served in this case. This poor child was obviously abused and mistreated. R.I.P., Rebecca. :(


LIZARD :(

[Prot]

it's about time...!! it's taking too long to see that for the last 30 years there has been an increased of drugging children for no other reason but to just keep them quiet :mad:


This is not exactly true. Whilst some might be attributable to an increased desire on the part of some parents etc to drug children into a state of parentally etc approved conformity, the rest is no doubt attributable to children who have genuine mental health problems being picked up on and medicated accordingly and appropriately in a way that would not have occurred 30 years ago.

Is there no case for saying children should be given such drugs -quite clearly,NO!

Is there a case for questioning the inappropriate use of such drugs on some children and the involvement of the pharmaceutical companies in over zealously pushing the use of such drugs on children - maybe even more clearly, Yes!

To argue that the majority of the increased usage of such drugs is attributable to parents etc wishing to drug children into acceptable conformity with the aid of the drug company propaganda machine is within the realms of reason.
To say that the increased usage is solely attributable to the above factors is not.

There need to be a way of preventing future 'Rebecca Rileys' whilst not going down a path, fostered even now by the emotionality her tragic case understandably invokes in people, of seeking to deny the use of such medication in such cases where the use of medication would be appropriate.

Certainly there would appear to be a need of much more rigorous guidelines and monitoring of the use of such medication on children and serious consideration of the appropriateness of using such medication in children as young as Rebecca Riley was or indeed even children 2-3 years older.