title: [A complete clinical trial register is already a reality in the paediatric field].
abstract: Clinical trials have a fundamental role in promoting an evidence based use of drugs in adults and in children. However, it is often difficult to identify the few paediatric studies carried out and to thus implement knowledge derived from them. Furthermore, studies that are stopped prematurely or that have insignificant or negative results often remain unpublished, leading to duplication of effort by researchers, waste of resources and concealment of potentially toxic risks. The European Community decided to support the development of a European register of clinical trials in children as part of the Fifth Framework Thematic Programme "Quality of Life" in 2002. The project DEC-net is coordinated by the Laboratory of Mother and Child Health of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan and currently involves members of four countries; France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. It is unique in that it is the first population oriented clinical trial register. Such a register represents a useful source for planning new studies, promoting communications and collaborations between researchers, facilitating patient access and recruitment into trials, preventing trial duplication and inappropriate funding and identifying the therapeutic needs of children that remain neglected. It will also allow for active monitoring of new or evolved knowledge of drug therapies.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France. evelyne.jacqz-aigrain@rdb.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jacqz-Aigrain
authors.forename: Sétareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zarrabian
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pandolfini
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonati
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sammons
authors.forename: Imti
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Choonara
authors.forename: Imma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Danés
authors.forename: Imma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arnau
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries