Biomedical subjects

F McNicholas

Publications and source records attributed to F McNicholas.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Psychotropic prescribing practices of paediatricians in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the prescribing practices and attitudes to psychotropic medication by paediatricians in the UK. DESIGN: Questionnaires were sent to 100 randomly chosen paediatricians in the UK to assess their prescribing practices of psychotropic medication in children. RESULTS: Paediatricians see and treat many children with a wide variety of psychotropic medications on a regular basis. However, few of them feel competent, and most requested regular psychopharmacology seminars. CONCLUSIONS: In the US, primary care physicians and paediatricians are recognized as primarily responsible for the continuing increase in psychotropic prescriptions in children. This study shows that, in the UK, paediatricians also contribute to such prescribing and need to be taken into account when estimating the prevalence and appropriateness of such medication use in children.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

A prospective study of the influence of eating-disordered mothers on their children.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of eating disordered mothers on their children. METHOD: Women with a past or present eating disorder (ED; N = 41) and non-eating disordered women (NED); N = 153) and their offspring were followed prospectively. RESULTS: Female infants of ED mothers sucked significantly faster and were weaned 9 months later than offspring of NED mothers. ED mothers fed their children on a less regular schedule, used food for nonnutritive purposes, and demonstrated significantly higher concern about their daughters' weight than NED mothers from 2 years of age onward. At 5 years, the offspring of ED mothers were reported to demonstrate greater negative affect than the offspring of NED mothers. DISCUSSION: The female offspring of ED mothers demonstrate a high avidity for feeding early in life which, combined with increased maternal concern over their daughters weight and the use of food for nonnutritive purposes, may pose a serious risk for the later development of an eating disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Developing rational protocols for paediatric psychopharmacological prescribing.

The number of child psychiatrists, paediatricians and general practitioners prescribing psychotropic medication for children in the UK is increasing. Medication is being used not just to treat children of normal intelligence with hyperkinetic disorder or depression, but also to modify behavioural problems in children with developmental disorders and severe learning difficulties. Literature reviews highlight the lack of robust randomized controlled drug trials on which to base clinical practice and the authors have found no appropriate existing protocols to help develop a systematized approach. Against such a background the authors have developed a comprehensive set of protocols covering prescribing details for individual drugs, and also addressing issues such as informed consent, long-term monitoring and school liaison. All children referred to the authors' clinics go through a standardized decision-making process. This article describes both the protocols themselves and the philosophies that guided their development. The authors describe how such a system benefits the children, their families, general practitioners and schools, whilst also facilitating audit and research.

Child↗