Introduction

Beneficence and non-maleficence: these classic ethical principles often contradict when atypical antipsychotics are prescribed to children. Expedient effects on development should be weighed carefully against harmful side effects, especially metabolic complications. Prescribing antipsychotic medication requires thorough monitoring of effects and side effects.

During this process, health professionals are often tempted to assign every inter-current symptom to the drug prescribed. However, sometimes this reasoning is false and thereby the decision to stop the medication. Effective treatment may be withheld based on erroneous reasoning, and this situation is sometimes avoidable.

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