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Prescription medications in infancy and early childhood
Insights
Children received an average of 8.46 prescription medications before age five, with antibacterials being the most common. High usage was linked to chronic conditions like recurrent otitis media and asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pharmacology
- Pharmacoepidemiology
Background:
- Understanding prescription medication patterns in early childhood is crucial for assessing safety and efficacy.
- Early life exposure to medications can influence long-term health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency, types, and duration of prescription medication use in a pediatric cohort during their first five years of life.
- To identify factors associated with high medication recipients.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of prescription medication exposures in a cohort of 222 children over five years.
- Data collection included medication details, age at prescription, duration, and indication.
Main Results:
- A total of 1852 medications were prescribed (average 8.46 per child).
- Antibacterial medications, particularly ampicillin and amoxicillin, constituted a significant portion (80% combined with bronchodilators and antifungals).
- High medication recipients frequently had chronic conditions such as recurrent otitis media and asthma.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric medication exposure is common, with a concentration of prescriptions between 7-12 months of age.
- Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for short durations.
- Chronic pediatric conditions are associated with higher medication utilization.
Abstract:
The prescription medication exposures of a cohort of 222 children during their first five years of life were investigated. Excluding the three outliers, the cohort received 1852 medications (average per child, 8.46; mode, six; range, 0 to 37) during 1358 (23%) of the total 6017 visits made in five years. The greatest number of medications were administered or prescribed between 7 and 12 months of age. The majority (62%) of the medications over five years were oral preparations, and 87% were prescribed for two weeks or less. Antibacterials, bronchodilators, and antifungal-anti-yeasts accounted for 80% of the 1852 medication courses. One third of all medications were for ampicillin or amoxicillin. High medication recipients were likely to have chronic conditions, especially recurrent otitis media and/or asthma, and were likely to be high users of our health facility.