Payment is a benefit and why it matters for pediatric trials

Alan Wertheimer has argued persuasively that research ethics committees should be willing to count payment as a benefit when evaluating studies' risk-benefit ratios. In this paper, I begin by first recapitulating his argument and adding my own, complementary one. I then do two further things. First, I explain why the practical implications of these arguments for studies enrolling competent adults are less than fully clear. Second, I explain why the practical implication for trials enrolling children are clear and significant. I argue that we should be comfortable paying children to compensate them for undergoing research risks. I propose we do so by putting money into accounts that the child gains access to upon attaining majority.