ABSTRACT
Relative to the number of studies investigating the various uses of lithium in adult populations, the literature pertaining to the use of lithium in pediatric populations is lacking. In the late 1970s reviews of this topic pointed out the need for the systematic study of lithium in specific pediatric patient populations in which there were some data from case reports to suspect benefit1,2. These populations included bipolar youth, psychiatrically ill offspring of lithiumresponding parents and some aggressive and behaviorally disordered children. However, over the next two decades, few new systematic studies were completed, and the question is: why?
