Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Event Related Potentials (ERPs) and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
10:02

Event Related Potentials (ERPs) and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Published on: March 12, 2020

Drug use in children: cohort study in three European countries

Miriam C J M Sturkenboom1, Katia M C Verhamme, Alfredo Nicolosi

  • 1Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3000CA Rotterdam, Netherlands. m.sturkenboom@erasmusmc.nl

BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|November 26, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Drug use in European children varies by class, with anti-infectives and respiratory medications frequently prescribed. This study highlights patterns in paediatric drug use to guide future research.

Area of Science:

  • Paediatric Pharmacology
  • Drug Utilization Research
  • European Public Health

Background:

  • Understanding paediatric drug prescription patterns is crucial for optimizing child health outcomes.
  • Previous research has not comprehensively analyzed drug use across diverse European paediatric populations.
  • Identifying trends in paediatric medication use can inform therapeutic research and clinical guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a comprehensive overview of outpatient paediatric drug utilization in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Italy.
  • To analyze the prevalence of drug use by therapeutic class and identify patterns of recurrent versus acute prescribing.
  • To evaluate the off-label use of commonly prescribed medications in children.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study utilizing primary care research databases from 2000 to 2005.
  • Inclusion of 675,868 children across three European countries.
  • Analysis of drug prescription data, categorizing use by prevalence, recurrence, and off-label status.

Main Results:

  • High drug use prevalence (>10/100 children/year) was observed for anti-infective, dermatological, and respiratory drugs.
  • Cardiovascular and antineoplastic drugs showed consistently low use (<1/100 children/year).
  • Topical steroids, emollients, and asthma medications exhibited high recurrent use; off-label use was common for steroids and antifungals.

Conclusions:

  • Significant variations in paediatric drug prescribing exist across European countries.
  • The findings provide valuable insights into current paediatric therapeutic practices.
  • This data can help prioritize research efforts and improve evidence-based prescribing for children.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Administration of &#916;9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Adolescent and Adult Mice07:51

Administration of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Adolescent and Adult Mice

Published on: August 1, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview01:21

Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview

When it comes to infants and young children, they are typically administered smaller doses of medication in comparison to adults. This is primarily because their organ functions still need to fully develop, meaning their bodies are not as efficient at metabolizing or eliminating drugs. Additionally, their blood-brain barrier is more permeable than in adults. As a result, high concentrations of drugs can easily penetrate the central nervous system (CNS), potentially leading to neurological...