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Specific aspects of gastro-intestinal transit in children for drug delivery design

Alexandra Bowles1, Joanne Keane, Terry Ernest

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutics, The School of Pharmacy, University of London, United Kingdom.

International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|May 19, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric gastro-intestinal transit differs significantly from adults, impacting oral dosage form design. Understanding age-related transit variations is crucial for developing effective multi-particulate dosage forms for children.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Children's gastro-intestinal (GI) physiology differs from adults, affecting drug absorption and efficacy.
  • Limited research exists on pediatric GI transit of dosage forms due to ethical and practical challenges.
  • Multi-particulate dosage forms offer advantages over liquids for pediatric oral drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review age-dependent GI transit in pediatric patients.
  • To identify factors influencing oral dosage form design, especially multi-particulate systems.
  • To correlate GI transit characteristics with pediatric age groups.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on pediatric GI transit of food, milk, and liquids.
  • Analysis of age-related variations in swallowability, esophageal transit, gastric emptying, and intestinal/colonic transit.
  • Extrapolation of findings to inform oral dosage form design for pediatric populations.

Main Results:

  • GI transit parameters in children vary significantly with age and approach adult values at different developmental stages.
  • Gastric emptying and intestinal transit times are notably different in neonates and infants compared to older children and adults.
  • Swallowability and esophageal transit also present age-specific challenges for oral dosage forms.

Conclusions:

  • Age-specific GI transit data is essential for optimizing pediatric oral dosage form design.
  • Multi-particulate dosage forms are well-suited for pediatric use, offering benefits of liquids without their limitations.
  • Further research into pediatric GI transit of actual dosage forms is warranted to improve therapeutic outcomes.

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