title: Evidence for clinical safety, efficacy, and parent and physician perceptions of levocetirizine for the treatment of children with allergic disease.
abstract: Allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) are highly burdensome diseases, which are increasing in prevalence, especially in the paediatric population. Despite the availability of a large number of medications for treatment of AR and CIU, their use in children has primarily been based on data obtained from a limited number of clinical trials in children and/or testing in adults. The H(1)-antihistamines have traditionally been used as first-line treatment for the relief of both AR and CIU symptoms in children. The first-generation H(1)-antihistamines are associated with marked adverse effects such as sedation, sleepiness/drowsiness as well as difficulties in learning and cognitive processing; thus, they are recommended for limited or discontinued use in children with AR or CIU. In contrast, second-generation H(1)-antihistamines are more adapted for the use in children with AR and CIU due to better safety profiles. However, only a limited number of trials with these agents have been conducted and generally, data from well-designed trials in children are lacking. Levocetirizine is one of the most extensively investigated H(1)-antihistamines for its pharmacologic properties, safety, efficacy as well as overall global satisfaction in children aged 2-12 years. Levocetirizine is the only H(1)-antihistamine launched in the 21st century shown to lack clinically relevant adverse effects on physical and psychomotor development or routine laboratory tests over a long-term period of 18 months in 1- to 3-year-old children predisposed to development of allergic disease. Available data suggest that levocetirizine is a suitable treatment option for AR and CIU in children aged 6 months to 12 years.
authors.affiliation: Moscow Research Institute of Pediatrics and Children Surgery, Moscow, Russia. apampura1 @ mail.ru
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Pampura
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spičák
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurzawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017332:Cetirizine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014581:Urticaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating; C472067:levocetirizine; D017332:Cetirizine