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[Use of medicines by children attending nursery schools]

L F Bricks1, C Leone

  • 1Intituto da Criança do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.

Revista De Saude Publica
|December 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Children frequently received multiple medications, with younger children using more drugs. Inappropriate prescriptions, including antibiotics and unapproved medications, were common, highlighting a need for improved pediatric prescribing practices.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Drug Utilization Studies
  • Public Health

Context:

  • A 2-month follow-up study involving 1,382 children across 15 day-care centers in Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil.
  • Investigated medication patterns in a pediatric population within a specific urban setting.

Purpose:

  • To analyze the patterns of medicine use among children attending day-care centers.
  • To identify the types of medications prescribed and assess the appropriateness of their use in pediatric patients.

Summary:

  • 37% of children received 1,409 drugs, with an average of 50.9 medicines per 100 children/month.
  • Younger children (0-2 years) used more medications than older children (2-7 years).
  • Anti-infectives, respiratory drugs, and antipyretics were most common; many prescriptions were inappropriate, including excessive antibiotics (66%) and unapproved medications.

Impact:

  • Highlights significant issues in pediatric prescribing, including overuse of antibiotics and inappropriate therapies for common childhood illnesses.
  • Suggests a need for enhanced physician education and stricter guidelines for medication use in children.
  • Underscores potential risks associated with the use of unapproved or questionable medications in pediatric populations.

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