6533b82cfe1ef96bd128ed19
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Clinical trials in children.
Morales-carpi CMorales-olivas Fjsubject
medicine.medical_specialtyEthical problems using children in clinical trialsResearch SubjectsAlternative medicinePlacebolaw.inventionEthics ResearchDrug TherapylawmedicineHumansPsychiatryChildRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicPharmacologyClinical Trials as TopicClinical pharmacologyEthical issuesbusiness.industryPatient SelectionGeneral MedicineUnited StatesClinical trialEuropeResearch DesignFamily medicineBest evidencebusinessdescription
Abstract Randomized controlled clinical trials are felt by the medical community to provide the best evidence. Participation in trials involves the possibility of obtaining benefits but also of suffering some risks. Those risks are often considered unacceptable for children but if clinical trials are not conducted in children, clinicians are forced to extrapolate study data from adults. In 1968 H. Shirkey termed children "therapeutic orphans" because of the lack of adequately tested and labeled drugs available in appropriate formulations. Research involving children entails specific difficulties as the need to study children of different ages, the small number of children affected by certain diseases or ethical issues. This paper considers aspects of pediatric clinical pharmacology and children's responses to drugs. It also reviews some of the current situations in pediatric clinical trials, covering aspects such as: the benefits and risks of trial participation; the specificity of pediatric trial design; the ethical issues such as consent; the use of placebo or the participation of healthy children; and the current legal situation in Europe and in the USA.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-09-01 | Reviews on recent clinical trials |