Child advocate reacts to adoption arrests

ABC NEWS -- December 1, 2011 -- Psychiatrists Put Kids at Risk With Mind-Altering Drugs

Uploaded by PsychSearch on Dec 1, 2011
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Doctors Put Foster Children at Risk With Mind-Altering Drugs
By BRINDA ADHIKARI, JOAN MARTELLI and SARAH KOCH
Dec. 1, 2011

Across America, doctors are putting foster children on powerful, mind-altering drugs at rates up to 13 times that of children in the general population. What's more, doctors are prescribing foster children drugs at doses beyond what the Food and Drug Administration has approved, sometimes in potentially dangerous combinations, according to a new report by the federal Government Accountability Office.

"It's just almost beyond comprehension," said Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., who asked for the GAO investigation. "We want the doctors and nurses that are prescribing these medicines to look at their behavior and think and ask this question. Are we doing something wrong here?"

In Florida, regulators have been grappling with that question since a 7-year-old boy, Gabriel Myers, killed himself in 2009 after being prescribed a powerful mix of psychotropic medication.

His psychiatrist, Dr. Sohail Punjwani, had, at different times, prescribed two drugs that carry black box labels — warning of the need to carefully monitor patients because of the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children, which call for careful monitoring. However, even though Gabriel visited Punjwani's office seven times, his foster father said Gabriel usually only spent about five minutes talking to the doctor.

Gabriel's death was ruled an accident, but investigators pointed to the possibility that the medication may have contributed to his death. The tragedy triggered a storm of outrage across the state.

"I don't accept that the only way to reach a child who is 7 years old is through psychotropic drugs," said Florida Sen. Ronda Storm, during hearings over Gabriel's death. "I do not accept that."

The boy's doctor settled a lawsuit in 2010 accusing him of prescribing a toxic cocktail of psychotropic drugs to a 16-year-old patient, who suffered a sudden heart attack and died. Punjwani settled that case but admitted no wrongdoing.

Additionally, Punjwani was arrested for driving under the influence and cocaine possession. He pleaded not guilty to those charges but went through a court-ordered rehabilitation program.

When ABC News caught up with Dr. Punjwani, he told us, "Sad stories happen but that does not mean that everything else the doctor is responsible for it because we are in the business of taking care of these children," he said.

Antipsychotic medication, which can cause a litany of health problems such as severe weight gain, an increased risk of diabetes and irreversible movement disorders, is among the top-selling drugs in America.

Four drug makers have paid a total of more than $2 billion to settle claims they illegally marketed antipsychotics to children. All deny wrongdoing.

"How do antipsychotics, drugs supposedly for people who have lost touch with reality, how do they develop such a wide market?" said neuropsychiatrist Dr. Stefan Kruszewski, who won millions of dollars as a key whistleblower against drug companies.

Foster Kids Given Psychiatric Drugs At Higher Rates

Foster Kids Given Psychiatric Drugs At Higher Rates : Shots - Health Blog : NPR:

Children in foster care are significantly more likely than other kids to be given mind-altering drugs, according to a study of five states released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office.

BEVERLY TRAN: Senate Hearing on Drugging Foster Kids

BEVERLY TRAN: Senate Hearing on Drugging Foster Kids:

Click on the above link for video

Thursday, December 1, 2011
Senate Hearing on Drugging Foster Kids
Find the complete testimony of the U.S. Senate hearing on drugging foster children.

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This is Medicaid fraud in child welfare. Let's just hope you stop pretending it does not exist. There are lots more of dirty little secrets. Just wait.

THE FINANCIAL AND SOCIETAL COSTS OF MEDICATING AMERICA’S FOSTER CHILDREN
Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security
December 1, 2011
Witnesses
Panel 1
Mr. Ke'onte Cook
Mrs. Carol Cook


Learn more: BEVERLY TRAN: Senate Hearing on Drugging Foster Kids http://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2011/12/senate-hearing-on-drugging-foster-kids.html#ixzz1fKGnPFTg
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Loretta Young's 'adopted' daughter wasn't adopted at all

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Loretta Young's 'adopted' daughter wasn't adopted at all:

So imagine if you were "adopted" by your "birth" mother and raised as an "adopted child." Your mother later marries, and has two "of her own." You take her husband's name, but you are still the "adopted child" in the family. When you ask your mother "as adopted children do. They say, 'Where are my.... Who's my mother? Who's my father" And she would answer very easily by saying, 'I couldn't love you anymore than if you were my own child.' Which of course didn't answer the question, but it said, 'Don't ask the question.'" *

Baby died after he was left in hot car by foster mother

Baby died after he was left in hot car by foster mother - News, Frontpage - Herald.ie:

A BABY boy who was on holidays with his foster parents died after he was left for three hours in a parked car.

Nathan Ryan was 14 months old when he died at a caravan park near Spanish Point beach in west Clare on July 29, 2010.

Gay couple accused of abusing two of their nine adopted sons

Gay couple accused of abusing two of their nine adopted sons | Mail Online:

A gay couple who adopted nine boys have been accused of sexually assaulting two of the children.

Read more: