[Use of hypnotics in children: description and analysis].
BACKGROUND
Sleep disorders are frequent in pre-school children and in the French population, often leading to the prescription of hypnotics or sedatives. Therefore, this represents an important health problem in this population.


METHODS
We studied the hypnotic consumption in children, aged between 1 month to 4 years (23 +/- 11.3 months), who complained of insomnia. Parents completed 203 sleep questionnaires including information on the hypnotics consumption of their offspring (112 boys and 91 girls). The questionnaire was also related to the parent's sleep patterns and hypnotics consumption. Seventy percent of the sample had received medication, at least once before the evaluation, and at any age. A positive correlation between hypnotics consumption in mothers and children, particularly boys (odds-ratio = 4.8; 1.1-8.7) was found.


CONCLUSIONS
These data confirm the early exposition to hypnotics of children in the French population, and the existence of a familial pattern of consumption, mostly influenced by the mother. These data should permit the identification of subgroups at risk for early exposition and to encourage non-pharmacologic approaches in the treatment of insomnia in young children.
Service de psychiatrie, hôpital Fernand-Widal, Paris, France.
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Pélissolo
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Mouren-Siméoni
D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004325:Dreams; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives
Utilisation des hypnotiques chez l'enfant: description et analyse.