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Optimizing Treatment for Children in the Developing World pp 33–44Cite as

Challenges in Pediatric Oral Dosing

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Abstract

Many barriers exist to determine and deliver the correct medication dose to a child. Obtaining an accurate weight, which serves as the foundation for appropriate dosing in the pediatric population, remains the critical first step. However, restricted resources in developing countries can limit the accuracy and consistency with which providers can obtain this essential information. In these settings, providers often rely upon weight estimation methods. Understanding the strengths and limitations of various estimation strategies should help health care providers identify which tool is most closely suited to the needs of their population. Additional challenges in pediatric drug delivery surround measuring and administering the correct dose. While several dosing devices are currently available to facilitate pediatric dosing, newer more innovative strategies are needed to improve drug delivery in children.

Children are often hailed as the hope and future of humanity, but they don’t benefit enough from pharmaceutical research and technology. Too often, the right medicines for children, in the right dosages and formulations are missing from the spectrum of available treatment options. [Dr Howard Zucker, Assistant-Director General at World Health Organization, 2006]

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA

    Jennifer L. Goldman MD

  2. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Jennifer L. Goldman MD

  3. Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

    Atieno Ojoo BPharm, MPH

  4. Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

    Atieno Ojoo BPharm, MPH

  5. Section of Therapeutic Innovation, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Susan M. Abdel-Rahman Pharm D

Authors
  1. Jennifer L. Goldman MD
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  2. Atieno Ojoo BPharm, MPH
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  3. Susan M. Abdel-Rahman Pharm D
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer L. Goldman MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Stuart MacLeod

  2. University of Melbourne Medical School, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Suzanne Hill

  3. Departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Gideon Koren

  4. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University, Hostpital Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anders Rane

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Goldman, J.L., Ojoo, A., Abdel-Rahman, S.M. (2015). Challenges in Pediatric Oral Dosing. In: MacLeod, S., Hill, S., Koren, G., Rane, A. (eds) Optimizing Treatment for Children in the Developing World. Adis, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15750-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15750-4_4

  • Publisher Name: Adis, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15749-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15750-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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