Question: My nine year old son says he has been sleeping with his mother in her bed for the last year. He sometimes says he has an upset stomach on going to bed and has complained of upset stomach at school. Any relationship between the two ?

Answer: The issue may be separation anxiety, which can interfere with going to school and create difficulties with social and family functioning.

Ask an Expert: Floyd Sallee MD, Anxiety and Stress Disorders (Children) View full article

Generalized Anxiety or Attention Defict Disorder

Question: Can generalized anxiety disorder mimic the signs/symptoms of ADD? My son was tested for ADD at age 7 and the results were borderline (more towards being ADD). He is now 11 and is currently taking Focalin XR 30 mg; it seems as though stimulants have never really helped a great deal with his focus and . . .

Answer: Attention deficit disorder is often combined with other behavioral problems and in fact it is "comorbid" with either anxiety or depression about 40% of the time, so it is entirely possible that you child may have two disorders. I take it that Zoloft is not effective for inattentive symptoms, perhaps . . .

Ask an Expert: Floyd Sallee MD, Anxiety and Stress Disorders (Children) View full article

Why Should Children Sleep Alone?

Question: I`ve often been told children should sleep alone in their own bed but for past millions of years every other mammal has their children sleep close and in site of their mother-same with humans until perhaps the past 70 years... Friends I know whose parents made them sleep alone take anti-anxiety medi . . .

Answer: I do not have either a philosophical argument or a cultural one. From a medical point of view there is no right or wrong position, except that we all need sleep. The context in which that biological need is fulfilled is beyond the scope of my expertise. Typically young children will have fears which . . .

Ask an Expert: Floyd Sallee MD, Anxiety and Stress Disorders (Children) View full article

Could My Son Have Anxiety/Stress?

Question: My son just turned 6 in February and I had another child 5 days after his burthday, about 2 weeks later he complained his throat hurt and he didnt want to eat anything except soft food (ice cream, etc). About 5 days passed and he still was not eating much. I brought him to the Dr. because a couple o . . .

Answer: I would sit down with you child’s pediatrician and discuss your concerns. As long as you child is growing and still maintaining his growth chart it is not a true cause for alarm. Certainly your concern and anxiety feeds into the behavior you describe and may actually impair your child’s ability to g . . .

Ask an Expert: Floyd Sallee MD, Anxiety and Stress Disorders (Children) View full article