The children were either given the drug, fluvoxamine, or a placebo for eight weeks. Anxiety in children was measured by the doctors, the children themselves and their parents. Researchers found that nearly 80 percent of children on the drug showed improvement compared to less than 30 percent in the placebo group who showed improvement. Five of the 63 children on fluvoxamine had to drop out of the study do to adverse reactions to the drug. However, the other 58 children on the drug reported no major side effects.
Researchers say anxiety disorders are relatively common in children.
It's estimated as many as one in seven American children and adolescents suffer from an anxiety disorder. The research is reported in this week's New England Journal of Medicine .