More kids take stomach drugs

CHICAGO (AP) — The number of young children on prescription drugs for heartburn and other digestive problems jumped about 56 percent in recent years, and researchers say obesity and overuse might be contributing to the surprising increase.

The surge was found in a Medco Health Solutions Inc. analysis released Thursday of U.S. prescription data for 2002-06. It suggests that more than 2 million U.S. children 18 and under used drugs for digestive or gastrointestinal complaints last year.

“It’s a signal that something’s going on that we need to keep an eye on,” said Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco’s chief medical officer. “Whether it’s parents getting their children diagnosed more frequently, or obesity,” or other factors, “it bears further study,” he said.

Researchers at Medco, a pharmacy benefits management company based in Franklin Lakes, N.J., analyzed prescription drug claims of more than 575,000 U.S. children.

They calculated that 557,259 infants and children up to age 4, or about 3 percent of youngsters in that age range, were taking these drugs last year. That’s about a 56 percent increase from 2002.